CION Ameerpet
A glioblastoma diagnosis is frightening, and the choices can feel overwhelming. CION explains exactly how GBM is treated — the surgery, the radiation, and the chemotherapy — and walks this journey with you, with a tumour board reviewing every case.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and most aggressive primary brain cancer in adults. It is a WHO Grade 4 tumour, and the treatment is built around a clear, well-tested sequence rather than a single step. For most patients, that sequence is surgery first, then radiation given together with chemotherapy, then more chemotherapy — a plan known as the Stupp protocol and recommended by NCCN and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO).
At CION, your care begins with our brain tumour treatment team and a multidisciplinary tumour board that reviews every case before any plan is finalised. We deliver the radiation, the chemotherapy, the molecular testing and the supportive care directly. Surgery is coordinated with accredited neurosurgical partners, so the whole plan still moves as one. For the full picture of what GBM is and how it is graded, see our dedicated glioblastoma (GBM) page.
Under the 2021 WHO classification of central nervous system tumours, the name "glioblastoma" is reserved for IDH wild-type Grade 4 astrocytomas. Tumours that were once grouped with GBM but carry an IDH mutation are now classified and treated differently, because they tend to behave less aggressively. This is why IDH testing is done before finalising a glioblastoma diagnosis. (Source: WHO Classification of Tumours of the Central Nervous System, 5th edition, 2021.)
No single treatment beats glioblastoma on its own. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy work together — each doing a different job — which is why a coordinated team matters so much.
The first goal is maximal safe resection — removing as much tumour as possible without harming healthy brain. More complete removal is linked to better outcomes. For tumours near speech or movement areas, an awake craniotomy may be used to protect those functions. At CION, all neurosurgery is coordinated with accredited neurosurgical partners.
Glioblastoma spreads tiny fingers into nearby brain, so surgery alone is never enough. Precision radiation (IMRT/IGRT) targets the tumour bed and a margin around it, sparing healthy tissue as much as possible. It usually runs over about six weeks. CION delivers radiation therapy directly as part of your plan.
Daily oral alkylating chemotherapy is given alongside radiation, then continued in monthly cycles afterwards. The combination works better than radiation alone. Whether the chemotherapy is likely to help is partly predicted by MGMT methylation testing on the tumour tissue.
Glioblastoma care needs several specialists working together. It helps to know exactly which parts CION provides in-house and which parts we arrange with trusted partners, so nothing falls through the gaps.
Decisions for healing, not billing. Your plan is built by the tumour board, explained in plain language in a free 45-minute consultation, and costed transparently before you commit. Book a free consultation to talk it through.
We're never more than 30 minutes away. Same panel of specialists at every centre. Same tumour board reviews. Same NCCN protocols. Pick the closest one and call directly — or let us pick for you.
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Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
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Just diagnosed, mid-treatment, or facing a recurrence — CION's neuro-oncology tumour board will review your case and explain every step. You deserve answers in plain language.
A glioblastoma plan is only as good as the information behind it. Two parts matter most: confirming the diagnosis with imaging and tissue, and running the molecular tests that decide how the tumour is treated.
An MRI with contrast is the main scan used to find a glioblastoma, show its size and location, and assess how close it is to important brain areas. Specialised sequences add detail about blood flow and the tumour's relationship to speech and movement regions, which helps the surgical team plan a safe resection.
Imaging can strongly suggest glioblastoma, but only tissue confirms it. Tissue is usually obtained during surgery to remove the tumour, or by a stereotactic needle biopsy when open surgery is too risky. Both are coordinated with accredited neurosurgical partners. The sample goes for standard pathology and molecular testing.
These two molecular tests are not optional extras — they change the plan. MGMT promoter methylation predicts how well alkylating chemotherapy will work; methylated tumours respond better and have longer reported survival. IDH mutation status defines what the tumour is: under the 2021 WHO system, glioblastoma is by definition IDH wild-type. CION arranges both tests as standard on glioblastoma samples so chemotherapy decisions are informed, not guessed.
In glioblastoma, whether the MGMT gene is methylated (switched off) helps predict response to alkylating chemotherapy. Patients whose tumours are MGMT-methylated have consistently shown longer survival on standard chemoradiation than those with unmethylated tumours. NCCN guidelines recommend MGMT testing to inform treatment decisions — so if it has not been done, it is reasonable to ask for it before chemotherapy begins. (Source: NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines, Central Nervous System Cancers; Hegi et al., NEJM.)
The standard treatment for newly diagnosed glioblastoma is delivered in three phases. Knowing the sequence helps you and your family understand what to expect at each stage.
After the protocol, MRI brain scans are repeated every two to three months. The first scan after chemoradiation can be tricky to read — a phenomenon called pseudoprogression can make the scan look worse than it is, due to post-treatment inflammation rather than true growth. Experienced neuro-oncologists recognise this and avoid changing the plan too soon.
Glioblastoma treatment is demanding, and good care means treating the whole person, not only the tumour. CION builds support into every plan.
Glioblastoma commonly recurs, and there is no single right answer for recurrence. Depending on where and when it returns, the tumour board may consider repeat surgery (coordinated with neurosurgical partners), focused re-irradiation such as stereotactic radiosurgery, a different systemic approach including anti-angiogenic therapy, or a clinical trial. The right next step is individual.
Facing a difficult decision? A second opinion is often most valuable before surgery, before starting chemotherapy, or at recurrence. Request a free second opinion from CION's neuro-oncology tumour board, or call 18002028726.
Families almost always ask about survival, and it is one of the hardest questions. There is no single number that fits everyone — outcomes vary widely from person to person. Published ranges from NCCN and large patient series report a median overall survival of roughly 12 to 18 months with standard treatment, and a minority of people live considerably longer.
Several factors are linked to better outcomes: MGMT-methylated tumours, younger age, good day-to-day functional status, and a more complete surgical removal. These are population averages drawn from groups of patients — they are not a prediction for any one person, and they are not a guarantee in either direction. Research into new approaches, including TTFields and immunotherapy combinations within clinical trials, continues to evolve.
What matters most is a plan tailored to your tumour and your priorities, explained honestly. We walk this journey with you — see the full brain cancer and tumour hub for related guidance.
Get a free written second opinion from CION's neuro-oncology tumour board — especially valuable before surgery, before chemotherapy, or if MGMT and IDH testing has not been arranged.
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Start Your Story. Book Free Consultation.Glioblastoma (GBM) is treated in a planned sequence. First, neurosurgery removes as much tumour as is safely possible — at CION this is coordinated with accredited neurosurgical partners. Next comes concurrent chemoradiation: about six weeks of daily radiation to the brain combined with daily oral alkylating chemotherapy. This is followed by several monthly cycles of the same chemotherapy. This three-step plan is known as the Stupp protocol and is the standard recommended by NCCN and EANO. CION delivers the radiation, systemic therapy, molecular testing and supportive care directly, and coordinates the surgery.
The Stupp protocol is the internationally established treatment plan for newly diagnosed glioblastoma. It has three phases: (1) maximal safe surgical removal of the tumour; (2) six weeks of daily radiation given together with a daily oral alkylating chemotherapy tablet; and (3) roughly six monthly cycles of the same chemotherapy after radiation finishes. The combined radiation-plus-chemotherapy phase works better than radiation alone. MGMT methylation testing helps predict who benefits most from the chemotherapy part.
Both are molecular tests done on the tumour tissue, and they directly change the plan. MGMT promoter methylation predicts how well alkylating chemotherapy works — methylated tumours respond better and have longer reported survival. IDH mutation status now defines what a tumour truly is: under the 2021 WHO classification, only IDH wild-type tumours are called glioblastoma, while IDH-mutated tumours are classified differently and generally behave less aggressively. CION arranges both tests as standard on glioblastoma biopsy samples so your team can tailor chemotherapy decisions and set realistic expectations.
CION does not have an in-house neurosurgeon. All neurosurgery for glioblastoma — craniotomy, maximal safe resection, awake craniotomy for tumours near speech or movement areas, and stereotactic biopsy — is coordinated with accredited neurosurgical partners. What CION delivers directly is the rest of the pathway: radiation therapy (IMRT/IGRT), systemic chemotherapy, molecular testing, steroid and seizure management, and supportive and rehabilitation care. Every case is reviewed by a multidisciplinary tumour board before a plan is finalised, so surgery and the medical treatments fit together as one coordinated plan.
There is no single number, and outcomes vary widely from person to person. Published ranges from NCCN and large series report a median overall survival of roughly 12 to 18 months with standard treatment, and a minority of patients live considerably longer. People whose tumours are MGMT-methylated, who are younger, who have a good functional status, and who had a more complete surgical removal tend to do better. These are population averages, not predictions for any one person. Your CION team can discuss what the published evidence means for your specific situation.
Tumour-treating fields (TTFields) is a treatment that uses low-intensity alternating electric fields, delivered through pads worn on the scalp, to interfere with cancer-cell division. It is added after chemoradiation in selected newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients alongside maintenance chemotherapy. CION discusses TTFields and clinical-trial options as part of coordinated specialist care and will explain whether it is appropriate for your situation and how it is accessed.
Glioblastoma often recurs, and there is no single right answer for recurrence — the plan depends on where and when it returns, your earlier treatment, and how well you are. Options reviewed by the tumour board can include repeat surgery (coordinated with neurosurgical partners), further radiation such as focused stereotactic radiosurgery, a different systemic-therapy approach including anti-angiogenic therapy, and clinical trials. CION also focuses on symptom control, steroid and seizure management, and quality of life. A free second opinion is often valuable before deciding the next step.
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