BACKGROUND: About 40,000 Americans are diagnosed with malignant primary brain tumors each year, according to the National Brain Tumor Society. Glioblastoma multiforme are one of the most difficult to treat. This is because they are difficult to remove entirely through surgery since the cancer cells aren't contained in a solid mass, but spread throughout the brain.

Glioblastomas are a type of astrocytoma, a tumor type that accounts for 25 to 30 percent of gliomas -- the most commonly diagnosed primary brain tumor, according to the International RadioSurgery Assocation. A primary brain tumor is one that begins in the brain.

GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME: Glioblastoma multiforme is a malignant tumor of the brain that contains areas of dead tumor cells. Glioblastomas normally contain more than one type of cell, so while treatment may kill one cell type, the other cells continue to multiply. This type of tumor is the most commonly diagnosed brain tumor in adults aged 45 to 74.

Men are diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme more often than women. As a brain tumor like a glioblastoma grows, it may interfere with the normal functions of the brain. The American Brain Tumor Association says symptoms to watch out for include headaches, seizures, memory loss and behavior changes.

TREATMENTS: Usually, the first step in treating a brain tumor is surgery to diagnose the tumor, remove as much of it as possible, and come up with a treatment plan. Most treatment plans include radiation and chemotherapy.

Other therapies that are still under investigation include gene therapy to restore the normal function of tumor suppressing genes within tumor cells and stimulate the body's immune system, as well as vaccines that train the immune system to attack cancer cells in the brain.

Surgeons are beginning to implement various technologies during brain surgery to maximize the amount of cancer that is removed. Brain mapping and functional MRI help neurosurgeons determine which vital areas of the brain to avoid, and image-guided techniques can help the surgeons navigate with surgical tools more precisely.

Cleveland Clinic neurosurgeons are using a laser guided by MRI to coagulate -- or heat and kill -- brain tumors. So far, they have used the laser to treat glioblastomas.

"This actually involves passing a 3-millimeter probe down deep into the brain, and we can reach areas that are very difficult if not impossible to safely reach with conventional surgery," Gene Barnett, M.D., a neurosurgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, said.

Dr. Barnett says he hopes the laser, called AutoLITT, can eventually be used on a number of different tumors as the only necessary treatment.

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