Russian actress Anastasia Zavorotnyuk passed away at the age of 53 due to glioblastoma, a malignant brain tumor. This is one of the most aggressive forms of malignant brain tumors and is practically incurable. Lenta.ru talks about this dangerous disease, its causes, as well as possible ways to combat it.
Anastasia Zavorotnyuk struggled with the disease for five years
Zavorotnyuk stopped acting in 2019. It was also reported that ten years before the diagnosis, she fainted during filming, but this was not given much importance: “we thought it was from malnutrition,” said a friend of the actress.
Photo: Vladimir Myshkin / Globallookpress.com
In the fall of 2019, it became known that she was in a deep coma in the clinic and had been diagnosed with brain cancer. fourth stage. Zhanna Friske, Mikhail Zadornov and Dmitry Hvorostovsky died from the same disease.
For a long time, nothing was known about Anastasia’s condition. In total, the artist struggled with the disease for about five years; her eldest daughter Anna wrote about her condition on her blog:
Mom slowly, but you understand – the disease is such a very terrible, dangerous one. But my mom is a fighter, she can handle anything, she’s a real smart girl!
In September 2022, the actress was hospitalized in a private hospital and was discharged only six months later. At the end of 2023, she underwent treatment again, but there were no changes in her health. “We can’t say that everything is fine, but the condition is stable,” the star’s daughter said then.
Over the past two weeks, Anastasia Zavorotnyuk’s condition has deteriorated sharply.
Glioblastoma is an extremely aggressive disease
Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive forms of malignant brain tumors. The disease is one of those called brain cancer because it is characterized by abnormal growth of abnormal cells followed by the spread of these cells to other tissues and organs.
The tumor begins to develop in the white matter, consisting of bundles of long processes of neurons – axons. The cells that are the precursors of glioblastoma belong to neuroglia – they do not participate in signal transmission like neurons, but perform a structural and supportive role.
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Photo: My Ocean Production / Shutterstock / Fotodom
The mechanism of brain tumor development has not been studied
The causes of the disease are not fully understood, so there are no guaranteed methods of prevention, although medical science knows some risk factors, including genetic mutations and external factors. Some genetic diseases are associated with a high risk of glioblastoma, such as neurofibromatosis. Radiation exposure to the head, such as during treatment for other types of cancer or during CT scans, can increase the likelihood of the disease.
Another factor is heredity, especially if there is a history of primary brain tumors in the family. In addition, there is evidence of a connection between this disease and some viruses, including herpes virus.
Headaches are the most common symptom
Symptoms can vary and depend on the location of the tumor in the brain. One of the most common symptoms is headaches, which are often worse in the morning or at night. Patients may also experience nausea and vomiting caused by increased intracranial pressure.
Glioblastoma may also be accompanied by cognitive impairment, such as problems with memory and concentration. In addition, there may be changes in personality and behavior, weakness or numbness in the extremities, and problems with vision, speech, and coordination of movements, which are somewhat similar to the symptoms of a stroke.
15
months
average life expectancy after diagnosis of glioblastoma and subsequent treatment
Glioblastoma is fought with a combination of several treatment methods
Surgical removal of the tumor is the first step of treatment, the goal of which is to remove as much tumor tissue (about 99 percent of the cells) as possible without damaging healthy parts of the brain. However, due to the invasive nature of glioblastoma and the presence of secondary lesions in other areas of the brain, it is not possible to completely remove the tumor. After surgery, patients undergo radiation therapy to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Chemotherapy, particularly the drug temozolomide, is often used in combination with radiation therapy to improve the effectiveness of treatment. Recently, new treatments have emerged, such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy, that target specific molecular targets in tumor cells.
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Photo: Mark_Kostich / Shutterstock / Fotodom
At this stage of medical development, glioblastoma is almost incurable
Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults and accounts for about 15 percent of all brain tumors. Every year, about 3-4 cases of glioblastoma per 100 thousand people are diagnosed worldwide. The prognosis for patients with glioblastoma remains poor.
The average life expectancy after diagnosis is about 15 months with intensive treatment. The five-year survival rate is less than 10 percent. These low survival rates are associated with rapid tumor growth, invasiveness, and high resistance to therapy. Even successful treatment almost always ends in relapse, however known extremely rare cases of complete recovery.
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