Emerging treatments for glioblastoma

Using Immunotherapy to treat glioblastoma

Immunotherapy, which uses substances to enhance or subdue your immune system to help your body fight the tumour, is also showing some promise, such as the cancer vaccine DCVax^®.

DCVax ^® is a personalised cancer vaccine that is made from each patient's own dendritic cells. (Dendritic cells are a type of immune cell that help the body's immune system recognise and attack tumour cells.)

In May 2018, interim results from a clinical trial showed increased overall survival for patients with glioblastoma. However, as of June 2018, it's not currently available on the NHS, and the trial, though ongoing, is not recruiting any more people. It may be possible to access it privately and you may have to go abroad for the initial treatment. You will need to have a sample of your tumour flash frozen. Speak to your healthcare team if you are interested.

Find out more about immunotherapy

Using Tumour Treating Fields (TTF) to treat glioblastoma

Also known as Optune ^®, TTF is a relatively new, non-invasive technique for adults with glioblastoma. It uses alternating electrical fields, delivered via a set of adhesive patches worn like a skull cap, to disrupt tumour cell division, or cause cell death. This helps to prevent the tumour from growing or spreading so quickly.

It's not currently available through the NHS.

Find out more about TTF