Hello, My Husband was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma tumor In May with a prognosis of 2/3 months. I would like to know what to look out for in the coming weeks as the tumor progresses.
Thank you
Hello, My Husband was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma tumor In May with a prognosis of 2/3 months. I would like to know what to look out for in the coming weeks as the tumor progresses.
Thank you
Dear Treez
Thank you for getting in touch and welcome to the online community, I hope you find it a helpful and supportive way to communicate with others. My name is Isobel one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialist, on the Macmillan Support Line.
I am sorry to read about your husband’s diagnosis of a Glioblastoma tumour, and the short prognosis that has been given. I can appreciate this is a very difficult time for you all, it is only natural that you would want to know what to look out for over the coming weeks.
Unfortunately, we cannot be specific, here at the Macmillan Support Line, we can give general information and support. We are independent from the NHS and don’t have access to medical records, so we can’t give personalised information.
How a tumour like this behaves is not entirely predictable, we can’t be absolutely certain about what will happen to your husband. Different parts of the brain control different functions, so the symptoms he experiences will depend partly on where the tumour is within his brain.
We would suggest asking for a conversation with his specialist to get more specific information about your husbands’ situation. There may be a clinical nurse specialist attached to the neurology team who could also sit down with you, to discuss this and the support they can offer.
In general, common things to look out for are symptoms such as increasing headaches, changes in personality, problems with communication and understanding what has been said, and memory problems. Seizures can also happen; he may have been prescribed medication to help prevent these. If you notice anything you are unsure of, do not hesitate to ask for help. This may mean 111 or 999, if other support is not in place or it is urgent.
Having appropriate support so important. Palliative care teams can support you and your husband through these next weeks and months and help with understanding what is happening as things change. An important part of their role is symptom management. If he has not already been referred, then we would encourage you to ask for this. His GP or the consultant that diagnosed his tumour can make this referral.
Organisations such as the Brain tumour charity also offer support and this section about living with a brain tumour may be helpful.
Please know that you can contact our helpline and speak to one of our cancer information nurses if you need to discuss this in more detail. Sometimes a 2-way conversation can be very beneficial when there is so much going on.
You may not consider yourself to be a carer. But, caring for someone with a brain tumour can be both physically and emotionally demanding. It’s important to look after yourself too. So do remember to be kind to yourself, share your own feelings with someone, you may want to discuss with family or friends how to factor in time short breaks.
Best wishes,
Isobel Y, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.
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