Glioblastoma: The Weed of the Brain.

Abstract

In the changing landscape of medicine, cancer comes as a priority. 11,000 people are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year in the United Kingdom (NHS, 2020); however, only 1% of funding is attributed (Scott, 2021). ‘Glioblastoma: The Weed of the Brain’ is a research project that aims to engage audiences on Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), currently recognised as the most aggressive brain tumour in medical literature (Duma, 2016). The tumour forms in the astrocyte cells that reside within the glial cells, found in the brain and spinal cord (Cancer research UK, n.d.). The tumour insidiously spreads through the white matter pathways within the brain (Duma, 2016) in a process known as angiogenesis; in which tumour cells invade healthy brain tissue and gain oxygen from blood vessel to increase its spread (Grisham, 2014). This growth pattern attests to the tumours’ complexity but also why no treatment has led to a successful prognosis. Current treatments have only sought to prolong the life expectancy from around 12 to 18 months (Methodist, 2019); through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation (Brem & Abdullah, 2017). These methods have proven harmful to brain cells and indicate a lack of acknowledgement for other methods, such as botany in medicine.