The outlook for stage 4 brain cancer depends on a wide range of factors. These include the type of brain cancer, how fast it grows, the tumor’s location on the brain, and an individual’s overall health.
Brain cancer develops when cells in the brain or central nervous system (CNS) tissue grow uncontrollably or do not die at the natural point in their life cycle. These can form tumors.
Different types of brain cancer include glioblastoma, astrocytoma, diffuse midline or hemispheric gliomas, and embryonic tumors.
Read on to learn more about the possible outlook for different types of stage 4 brain cancer.
Survival rate:
The survival rate refers to the proportion of people who are still alive for a length of time after receiving a particular diagnosis.
For example, a 5-year survival rate of 50% means that 50%, or half, of the people are still alive 5 years after receiving the diagnosis.
Relative survival rate:
A relative survival rate helps give an idea of how long a person with a particular condition will live after receiving a diagnosis compared with those without the condition.
For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate is 70%, it means that a person with the condition is 70% as likely to live for 5 years as someone without the condition.
It is important to remember that these figures are estimates. A person can consult a healthcare professional about how their condition is going to affect them.
According to the American Cancer Society, doctors work out the outlook depending on
- the age of the individual
- how much the brain tumor is affecting function and daily activity
- the type of tumor
- the tumor’s size and location
- whether the cells of the tumor have certain gene changes
- how much of the tumor a surgeon can safely remove, and whether surgery is possible at all
- if the tumor has spread to other parts of the brain or spinal cord
- whether cells have spread beyond the brain and nervous system
The National Brain Tumor Society estimates that the overall relative survival rate for someone with a malignant brain tumor is 35.7%. However, this
Types of grade 4 brain tumors
The World Health Organisation (WHO)
- glioblastoma
- astrocytoma
- diffuse midline glioma with an altered H3 K27 gene
- diffuse hemispheric glioma with a gene change on H3 G34
- embryonal tumors
Brain cancers
Doctors instead use grading to calculate how quickly a tumor is likely to grow based on its appearance under a microscope. Grade 4 is the most advanced.
Learn more about the different types of brain cancer.
Glioblastomas are the most common type of brain tumor. They develop from glial cells that provide support to the brain and spinal cord and can grow quickly.
If a person has glioblastoma, doctors estimate that they will survive for 12 to 18 months after diagnosis.
According to the American Brain Tumor Association, the 5-year relative survival rate for glioblastoma is:
- 19.5% in children up to 14 years
- 27.3% in people ages 15 to 39 years
- 5.6% in people 40 years and older
Learn about treatments for glioblastomas.
Astrocytomas, now known as IDH-mutated astrocytomas, also develop from a particular type of glial cell called an astrocyte. These have the shape of stars and support how nerves work in the brain.
Astrocytomas can be one of three grades: 2, 3, or 4.
According to a
Approximately 25% of all people with astrocytoma survive for longer than a year, and 5% for more than 5 years.
According to the
Diffuse midline gliomas most commonly develop on the:
- spinal cord
- cerebellum
- thalamus
- pons in the brain stem
The relative 5-year survival rate for people with diffuse midline glioma is around 42.2%. However, as with other types of brain cancer, this can depend heavily on a range of factors.
Diffuse hemispheric gliomas usually develop in the cerebral hemispheres. This type of glioma has a particular gene change called an H3 G34 mutation.
In a
Embryonal tumors develop from cells that remain in the body from the body’s early stages of development.
They can start anywhere in the brain or spinal cord. There are multiple types of embryonal tumors, including medulloblastomas and CNS neuroblastomas.
Around 20% to 25% of brain tumors in children are embryonal tumors, according to the Brain Tumour Charity. Most of these are medulloblastomas, and they are usually grade 4.
Different types of embryonal tumors have different outlooks. For example, medulloblastoma has a relative 5-year survival rate of
A person’s doctor can provide them with more accurate information about the outlook based on the type of tumor.
How long can you survive with stage 4 brain cancer?
How long a person can survive stage 4 brain cancer depends on several factors, including the type of brain cancer. People with medulloblastoma are
A person can discuss their outlook with their doctor for more accurate information based on their individual circumstances.
Is stage 4 brain tumor curable?
According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), brain tumors that a doctor identifies and treats early may be curable. However, brain tumors often return, and removal is sometimes not possible.
What are the symptoms of end stage brain cancer?
People with glioblastoma, the most common type of brain tumor, live for around 12 to 18 months after diagnosis.
However, the outlook for stage 4 brain cancer can vary. It can depend on a person’s age, overall health, the tumor size, the grade and location of the tumor, and how it responds to treatments.
The main tumors that can reach stage 4 include glioblastomas, astrocytomas, diffuse hemispheric gliomas, diffuse midline gliomas, and embryonal tumors.
A person can talk with their doctor for more accurate information about their outlook based on their individual circumstances.