Brain Cancer No Longer an Immediate Death Sentence: Survival in Aggressive Gliomas Improves Significantly, Say Experts
On the World Brain Tumour Day (June 8), specialists highlight advances in precision medicine, genomic profiling and targeted therapies that are helping patients live longer and better lives
Team L&M
For decades, a diagnosis of a high-grade glioma — one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer — was often accompanied by a grim prognosis and limited treatment options. Today, however, doctors say the narrative is slowly but unmistakably changing.
Ahead of World Brain Tumour Day, leading neuro-oncology experts from Delhi-NCR have reported encouraging improvements in survival rates among patients with aggressive brain tumours. Thanks to advances in molecular diagnostics, genomic profiling, precision radiation, neuronavigation-assisted surgery and targeted therapies, patients are not only living longer but, in some cases, surviving for years beyond what was once considered possible.
While high-grade gliomas remain among the most difficult cancers to treat, clinicians say survival outcomes have improved by as much as 50 per cent over the past decade. Median survival has increased from around 9–12 months to 14–18 months, while a growing number of patients are surviving two years or longer. Remarkably, a small but significant group is now living beyond a decade after diagnosis.
Precision Radiation and Better Surgery Are Changing Outcomes
According to Dr. Tejinder Kataria, Chairperson, Radiation Oncology, Medanta, modern radiation oncology has undergone a dramatic transformation.
“Radiation oncology has evolved from open beams from the cobalt era to multi-leaf collimators and precise beam configuration. It’s not just treating the tumor. It’s also the quality of life of the patient. We are able to deliver the tumoricidal dose now,” she said.
Dr. Kataria noted that median survival in high-grade glioma patients has improved substantially. “The overall survival or the median survival was around 9 to 12 months. It has moved to 14 to 18 months. Our survival of our patients with neuronavigation and radiation for grade 3 and grade 4 gliomas is almost 40% in two years. Some of our patients, maybe around 5% of them, are living for 10 years.”
However, she warned that one of the biggest challenges remains delayed diagnosis.
“The biggest blind spot in our country is the arrival of a patient to a specialist which is at a late stage. The symptoms may be masquerading as a headache, a hearing deficit, or a visual symptom. We need to have more awareness,” she added.
Genomic Profiling Is Personalising Brain Cancer Treatment
One of the most significant developments in neuro-oncology has been the growing understanding that brain tumours are not a single disease but a collection of biologically distinct cancers.
Dr. R. Ranga Rao, Chairman – Medical Oncology, Paras Health Gurugram, explained that treatment decisions are increasingly being guided by a tumour’s molecular profile.
“Brain tumour treatment is no longer limited to surgery and radiation alone. The growing understanding of tumour biology is helping us tailor treatment according to the molecular profile of each patient’s disease,” he said.
Markers such as IDH mutations and MGMT status, along with comprehensive genomic sequencing, are now helping oncologists identify patients who may benefit from targeted therapies.
“Whole genomic sequencing has emerged as an important tool in brain tumour management, enabling clinicians to better understand the tumour’s genetic makeup and select more personalized treatment approaches that can offer meaningful survival benefits,” Dr. Rao noted.
He added that multidisciplinary neuro-oncology teams are producing better outcomes, while newer targeted therapies are extending survival even in recurrent disease.
“Although high-grade gliomas continue to present significant challenges, the combination of precision diagnostics, modern therapies, and coordinated specialist care is enabling more patients to live longer and maintain a better quality of life than was possible even a few years ago.”
Fear and Fatalism Must Give Way to Awareness
Experts believe that one of the greatest obstacles facing brain tumour patients is not the disease itself but the fear associated with the diagnosis.
Dr. Shyam Agarwal, Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said many patients wrongly assume that a brain tumour diagnosis automatically means there is no hope.
“Once you hear the word tumor in the brain, they would feel that nothing can be done and life has come to an end because no treatment is going to be able to cure,” he said.
He stressed that brain tumours vary widely in their behaviour and prognosis.
“Brain tumor is of many varieties, which can be benign and malignant, and even in the malignant types there can be many grades and it can be secondary from any part of the body. We have so many drugs, so many treatment options, including surgery and radiation, which can help to control their cancers for long periods of time and even potentially a cure in individuals, depending upon the tumor type.”
Dr. Agarwal also highlighted the growing importance of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP).
“If you pick up an IDH1 aberration then that patient becomes amenable to treatment with Vorasidenib. Gene sequencing or a CGP is becoming important. It has become essential today to look at gene sequencing for all brain tumors in order to identify a targetable precision medicine.”
He further pointed out that delayed diagnosis remains a major concern because common symptoms such as headaches are often dismissed as stress, migraine or fatigue.
The Future Lies in Precision Oncology and Immunotherapy
The future of glioma treatment is increasingly linked to precision oncology, where therapies are designed around specific genetic alterations rather than tumour location alone.
Dr. Pranav Sopory, Medical and Patient Affairs Director, Servier India, said the era of one-size-fits-all treatment is ending.
“It’s no longer a one-size-fits-all disease. It’s largely a precision oncology-driven therapy area. You have to check for mutations such as IDH1 and 2, MGMT and 1P19,” he said.
He noted that researchers are now exploring next-generation immunotherapies and CAR-T cell therapies for glioma patients.
“Organizations such as Servier are now experimenting in the next generation of immunotherapies and CAR T cell therapies in gliomas. One important innovation has already taken place. The results there are outstanding.”
Dr. Sopory also called for stronger clinical research infrastructure and wider access to advanced treatments.
“Strengthen the clinical trial ecosystem in India. Innovate the public insurance scheme, such as Ayushman Bharat, and provide a space for multidisciplinary team discussion so that Indian patients with these difficult-to-treat cancers can access innovative therapies earlier and achieve the best possible outcomes.”
Awareness Could Save Lives
Despite remarkable scientific advances, experts agree that awareness remains the missing link.
Symptoms such as persistent headaches, seizures, vision changes, hearing disturbances, personality changes or unexplained neurological deficits should never be ignored. Earlier diagnosis can significantly improve treatment options and outcomes.
The message from specialists this World Brain Tumour Day is clear: while gliomas remain formidable cancers, they are no longer the hopeless diagnosis they were once considered to be. With precision medicine, targeted therapies, advanced surgery and coordinated specialist care, thousands of patients are gaining something that was once out of reach — time, quality of life and, increasingly, hope.
