An Integrative Approach for the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme

This thesis is being archived as a Digitized Shelf Copy for campus access to current students and staff only. We currently cannot provide this open access without the author's permission. If you are the author of this work and desire to provide it open access or wish access removed, please contact the Wahlstrom Library to discuss permission.There are approximately 70,000 new cases of brain tumor diagnosis every year. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children, and males between the ages of 20-39. It is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in females between 20-39 years of age as well. Though treatment consists of surgery, radiotherapy (postoperatively), and chemotherapy (primarily temozolomide), prognosis is poor with only 10% of patients surviving more than five years. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive form of brain tumor. There is a great need to understand the underlying mechanisms of tumor progression in order to define novel therapeutic targets for GBM. Adjuvant therapy such as herbs and nutrition can help improve cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents and should be considered in adding to the treatment protocol