Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme is the most malignant primary brain tumor in adults with high mortality. Standard glioblastoma therapy consists of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy with temozolomide.
However, the overall survival is still very low. Further understanding of the cancerogenetic processes and implementation of novel prognostic and predictive biomarkers as well as targeted cancer therapy and cancer immunotherapy could improve this unsatisfactory situation.
This review summarizes current understanding of glioblastoma cancerogenesis as well as the role of novel prognostic and predictive biomarkers (Isocitrate dehydrogenases 1 and 2 mutations, glioma cytosine-guanine island methylator phenotype promoter methylation status of the MGMT gene). New targeted therapeutic approaches, such as growth factor inhibitors and their receptors, inhibitors of intracellular signaling pathways, inhibitors of pathological angiogenesis and tumor immunotherapy are briefly discussed.
Novel glioblastoma treatment options are summarized in the context of predictive and personalised medicine.