Glioma, what we know about the rare form of cancer that caused the 33 -year death of actress Kelley Mack to 33 years

She had become popular for her role as Addy in the series The Walking Dead The American actress Kelley Mackwho died prematurely at the age of 33 due to a glioma, cerebral neoplasia which occurs in the brain or spinal cord and gradually compromises neurological functions.

In recent times, Kelley also struggled to walk. In recent months He had told his illness on the web and on social media. For example last March, announcing that you have completed the proton radiotherapyhad written on the site Caringbridge: «It was a challenge to adapt to a new environment after having a routine at home, but The mental and emotional support of my loved ones keeps me strongeven when I physically feel out of balance. It is a challenge that is surprising me, e So far the sun has shone every day. In general, this path was not easy, but things are improving; It is difficult to see the improvements when you are in the middle of everything. Thanks again and again for the support and prayers ».

Gliomi, what these rare brain tumors are

“Glomi are brain tumors that are born from specific cells of the central nervous system and are the most common type of malignant cerebral neoplasia”, explains Professor Lorenzo Bello, Oncological neurosurgery manager at the IRCCS Galeazzi Hospital – Sant’Ambrogio of Milan and full professor of neurosurgery, Department of Oncology of the University of Milan. «Above all, the cerebral hemispheres and, more rarely, the spinal cord. Today their classification is based not only on the appearance of the microscope, but above all on the genetic profile. Glomi can be “mutated IDH”, more typical of young people and often slow growth, or “Idh Wildtype”, more common in adults and generally more aggressive “.

How a glioma manifests

Gloma symptoms can vary according to the growth speed: «In the fastest tumors they appear soon heachache, epileptic crisis, Language disorders, sight or movement; In the slower ones, the signals can delay, and also include Changes of character and behavior “specifies the specialist.

For the diagnosis, the reference exam is magnetic resonance imaging, flanked by CT, pet and neuropsychological assessments, but “definitive confirmation can only come thanks to the analysis of a tissue sample taken during the intervention or by biopsy, which allows to establish the precise type of cancer and plan the most suitable treatment”.

What therapy?

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The treatment of gliomas is mainly based on three approaches: the surgerythe radiotherapy and the chemotherapy. The choice of the therapeutic path depends on the type of cancer and the characteristics of the patient, such as the age and general state of health. Surgery is almost always the first step. “The goal is remove the tumor mass as much as possible to relieve neurological symptoms And to elaborate a precise diagnosis », underlines Professor Bello. «Today surgery is very advanced, thanks to techniques such as” brain mapping “that allow you to map the areas of the brain to be preserved. But the most advanced surgical approach, Become surgical standard in these two last years, it foresees a combination of functional oncological neurosurgery techniques which allows the surgeon to remove not only the visible part of the neoplasm, but also to reach the invisible or infiltrated areas, creating a sopted removal, applicable to the mutated idh gliomas and the Wildype “, explains and adds:” If surgery is not possible, for example because the tumor is in deep or difficult to reach areas, one can resort to one stereotassic biopsya less invasive procedure that allows you to withdraw a sample of tumor tissue to formulate the diagnosis and decide the best treatment.
After surgery, in cases of more aggressive tumors, radiotherapy is used, which consists in the use of radiation to destroy residual cancer cells. «Radiotherapy is administered in several sessions and is often associated with chemotherapy, that is, with chemotherapy drugs taken orally or intravenously, depending on the stage of the disease. These combined treatments are customized on the basis of the patient’s uniqueness. “

In recent years, research has also opened the way to New biological and immunotherapy drugswhich “act in a more targeted way, affecting specific tumor proteins or stimulating the immune system to fight cancer cells,” said Bello.

According to the data of the Umberto Veronesi Foundation relating to 2024, in Italy, gliomas affect about 6,126 people per year, with a greater prevalence in men (3,482 cases) than women (2,644 cases). The incidence is estimated around 3-4 cases out of 100,000 inhabitants per yearbut gets up to 10-12 cases out of 100,000 inhabitants per year for over 60with an average age of onset around 65 years.