Glioblastoma multiforme: overview of current treatment and future perspectives

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common primary malignant tumor of the central nervous system. Despite new insights into glioblastoma pathophysiology, the prognosis for patients diagnosed with this highly aggressive tumor remains bleak. Current treatment regimens combine surgical resection and chemoradiotherapy, providing an increase in median overall survival from 12.1 to 14.6 months. Ongoing preclinical and clinical studies evaluating the efficacy of novel therapies provide hope for increasing survival benefit. This article reviews the advancements in glioblastoma treatment in newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma, including novel therapies such as antiangiogenic agents, mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 inhibitors, and immunotherapies.