glioblastoma

noun

glio·​blas·​to·​ma ˌglī-ō-ˌbla-ˈstō-mə 

variants or less commonly glioblastoma multiforme

-ˌməlt-ə-ˈfȯrm-ē 

plural glioblastomas also glioblastomata ˌglī-ō-ˌbla-ˈstō-mə-tə  or glioblastomas multiforme or glioblastoma multiformes

: a malignant rapidly growing astrocytoma of the central nervous system and usually of a cerebral hemisphere

Examples of glioblastoma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What happened next was documented in an early 2024 article for New York Magazine, in which Richards, 67, shared with the world that she had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer that has a median survival rate of 15 months. —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2024

So, most tumors shrink; all glioblastomas come back. —quantamagazine.org, 15 Oct. 2024

The Bleecker Street chief was diagnosed with glioblastoma in January. —Brent Lang, Variety, 6 Oct. 2024

The Mum’s the Word podcast host, 33, debuted a new romance on Instagram on Sunday, Sept. 22, two years after Tom died in March 2022 following a diagnosis of stage four glioblastoma. —Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from glia glia + blast- + -oma

First Known Use

circa 1923, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

glioblastoma

noun

glio·​blas·​to·​ma ˌglī-(ˌ)ō-bla-ˈstō-mə 

plural glioblastomas also glioblastomata -mət-ə 

: a malignant rapidly growing astrocytoma of the central nervous system and usually of a cerebral hemisphere

Glioblastoma is the worst grade of malignant glioma, a relatively uncommon but deadly class of brain tumors that kills 97% of those diagnosed within 5 years.

—Greg Miller, Science

called also glioblastoma multiforme