Can gliomas be inherited?

Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
Updated on September 12, 2024
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Gliomas have a certain hereditary proportion, but this is not an absolute concept. In clinical practice, there is no clear explanation for the pathogenic factors of gliomas, and theories are generally speculative. For instance, one factor is genetic nature, and there is also some familial clustering which supports the idea of a genetic predisposition. However, it is usually easier to identify purely genetic diseases, but gliomas often involve the inheritance of multiple genes, making it difficult to pinpoint the fundamental factors directly. Additionally, other factors include exposure to radiation and engaging in harmful work, such as producing methanol or solvents, etc. These can also cause genetic mutations leading to gliomas, so the issue is not necessarily solely genetic.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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What are the symptoms of glioma?

Patients with gliomas often exhibit a range of symptoms including significant headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. As the tumor grows, it typically leads to an evident increase in intracranial pressure. Besides the original symptoms, some patients may also experience marked declines in vision, visual field deficits, and papilledema. The growth of the tumor inevitably compresses surrounding tissues, nerves, and blood vessels, leading to a variety of symptoms of neurological damage, such as noticeable hemiplegia, aphasia, and even abnormal sensations in one side of the body, characterized by numbness, pain, and a pins-and-needles sensation.

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Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
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Glioma causes

In clinical practice, the etiology of gliomas is not very clear. It is not as straightforward as how smoking can easily lead to lung cancer or how cirrhosis can easily lead to liver cancer; many factors are speculative. For example, the most common theory in clinical practice involves genetics. Any form of genetic mutation or chromosomal mutation can induce the development of a glioma. For instance, excessive radiation exposure and drug abuse, and even maternal-fetal transmission or a genetic predisposition, could cause chromosomal abnormalities in patients, potentially leading to the formation of gliomas. However, the most fundamental cause has not yet been clearly identified.

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Written by Jiang Fang Shuai
Neurosurgery
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Glioma Causes

Gliomas are common intracranial primary tumors, with astrocytoma being the most prevalent, followed by oligodendroglioma, medulloblastoma, glioblastoma, ependymoma, etc. The causes of gliomas are very complex and are still unclear to this day. The prevailing view is that the development of gliomas results from the combined effects of internal carcinogenic genes and external carcinogenic factors. Changes in carcinogenic genes include gene mutation deletions, proto-oncogene activation, and so on. External factors mainly include radiation from X-rays, smoking, drinking, and some toxic and harmful foods and medications, etc.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
48sec home-news-image

Can gliomas be inherited?

Gliomas have a certain hereditary proportion, but this is not an absolute concept. In clinical practice, there is no clear explanation for the pathogenic factors of gliomas, and theories are generally speculative. For instance, one factor is genetic nature, and there is also some familial clustering which supports the idea of a genetic predisposition. However, it is usually easier to identify purely genetic diseases, but gliomas often involve the inheritance of multiple genes, making it difficult to pinpoint the fundamental factors directly. Additionally, other factors include exposure to radiation and engaging in harmful work, such as producing methanol or solvents, etc. These can also cause genetic mutations leading to gliomas, so the issue is not necessarily solely genetic.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
46sec home-news-image

Principles of Treatment for Glioma

For patients with glioma, the primary treatment method is still to surgically remove the tumor, followed by postoperative radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and other related treatments. The main treatment principle is to detect, diagnose, and treat early. During surgery, the tumor should be removed as completely as possible, and it is advisable to receive postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy early to effectively consolidate the surgical treatment effects. This helps to kill tumor cells to the greatest extent, slow down the probability and timing of tumor recurrence, and extend the patient's lifespan as much as possible. Therefore, for patients with glioma, it is recommended to choose to seek surgical treatment at well-known, top-tier hospitals locally.