Pitfalls in the diagnosis of glioblastoma

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most dreadful human cancers having a literature-reported median of life of 14 months with maximal treatment. The correct diagnosis is of crucial importance for the best chances of treatment. Misdiagnosis is uncommon, but seen in daily practice, and leads to important delays for patients. This paper will discuss the delays found in glioblastoma diagnosis in a series of 60 newly diagnosed patients. Four out of 60 patients had a delay of more than 6 weeks of treatment initiation, as at first imaging, GBM was not suspected as a diagnosis.