Glioma

Glioma Care in Israel

When patients or their families first hear the diagnosis of glioma, it often causes anxiety and confusion. In clinical terms, glioma is not a single disease but a group of primary brain tumors that arise from glial cells. Within this group are astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, ependymomas, and the most aggressive form, glioblastoma. These tumors differ significantly in their biological behavior. Some remain low-grade and progress slowly, allowing patients to live for many years under regular monitoring and treatment. Others are high-grade, with rapid growth and more severe symptoms, and in such cases doctors usually advise beginning therapy without delay.

What symptoms can look like

There isn’t one picture that fits everyone. For many, it starts with headaches that simply don’t go away. For someone else, the first sign is a seizure out of the blue. Memory slips are common too — forgetting words, names, small daily things. Others notice double vision, unsteady walking, weakness in an arm or leg. Nausea, weight loss, constant fatigue… each patient has their own mix, and that’s why diagnosis isn’t always straightforward.

How things usually go in Israel

Here doctors try to move fast. Within a few days patients often go through the main steps: first a consultation with a neuro-oncologist, a careful check of speech, vision, memory, balance. If there are MRI or CT scans from abroad, they get reviewed again.

Then come blood tests, sometimes tumor markers. An MRI with contrast or a PET-CT is done in most cases. If questions remain, a biopsy is arranged and tissue is sent for pathology. And there is something very typical for Israel — molecular testing. Doctors almost always check for mutations like IDH or EGFR. The reason is simple: these results guide the choice of therapy. They show which drugs have a chance to work and which are unlikely to help.

Treatment

Surgery is still the first step for many patients. If the tumor can be removed safely, surgeons will do it using advanced navigation, intra-operative MRI, even awake surgery when the patient talks or moves during the procedure. It sounds unusual, but it helps preserve critical functions.

After surgery radiation is often part of the plan, especially for malignant gliomas. Chemotherapy is added too. The well-known drug is temozolomide, but there are other combinations as well. Nothing is one-size-fits-all, doctors adapt it for each case.

What’s new today

A decade ago options were limited. In Israel now, patients see treatments that used to be called “experimental” but are already available.

• Targeted drugs that act only on weak points in the tumor.
• Immunotherapy — including CAR-T, where a patient’s own cells are changed in the lab and sent back to fight the cancer.
• Proton therapy, where the beam stops exactly in the tumor and spares healthy brain.
• TTFields, a device worn on the head that sends electric fields to block tumor cell division.
• DaRT therapy, an Israeli idea: tiny seeds with Radium-224 placed inside the tumor, releasing alpha particles and damaging cancer cells.
• And yes, there are ongoing trials with oncolytic viruses, with magnetic hyperthermia. These are still research, but Israeli patients can already get access in clinical programs.

Life after treatment

Finishing surgery or chemo is not the end of the story. Recovery is part of the treatment. Patients here often meet physiotherapists, speech therapists, psychologists. They work on memory, focus, speech, sometimes just on confidence. Doctors keep an eye on side effects and help adjust lifestyle, diet, daily routines. The goal is not just survival, but to give back independence and quality of life.

Final word

Glioma is never an easy diagnosis. But Israeli doctors have seen so many cases, simple and complex, rare and common, that experience really makes a difference. Add to that the technology, the research, and the teamwork, and you understand why people come here. Treatment is not only about living longer — it’s about living better.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with glioma, our specialists in Tel Aviv can review your case and build a personalized treatment plan.

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