Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain cancer in Australia, though still rare overall, with about 6-7 new cases per 100,000 people annually, impacting roughly 1,900 Australians each year, and accounting for a significant portion of all brain cancers, especially deadly in adults. It's more common in men, with a peak diagnosis around age 60, and often develops suddenly (primary GBM).
Glioblastoma (GBM)
In Australia, roughly 1,900 people are diagnosed with brain cancer each year, with approximately 1,500 dying from the condition.
However, the likelihood of a person developing any kind of cancerous brain tumor is less than 1%, which means glioblastoma is quite rare. Recent estimates indicate that about three in 100,000 Americans have glioblastoma.
In 2024, it is estimated that around 8,900 people will die of lung cancer in Australia. This is the most common cause of cancer-related death.
It has been suggested that COVID-19 infections are associated with a unique brain predisposition to thrombosis caused by cytokine storms (9), which is correlated with faster GBM development. Poor prognosis is associated with tumor thrombus in GBM (10).
The cause of most cases of glioblastoma is not known. Uncommon risk factors include genetic disorders, such as neurofibromatosis and Li–Fraumeni syndrome, and previous radiation therapy. Glioblastomas represent 15% of all brain tumors. They are thought to arise from astrocytes.
For glioblastoma, radiation is still the most effective therapy. But radiation exposure also is the only known risk factor for its development, and could perhaps also drive recurrence.
The top 3 "worst" cancers, often defined by the highest number of deaths globally, are consistently lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and liver cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health organizations, with pancreatic cancer also frequently cited as extremely deadly due to poor survival rates. Lung cancer causes the most fatalities worldwide, followed by colon/rectum and liver cancers, though specific rankings can vary slightly by year and region.
Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease is now Australia's leading cause of death. Ischaemic heart diseases are at their lowest rate in the available time series. There were 187,268 registered deaths in 2024, an increase of 4,137 since 2023.
About 90% of cancers are caused by environmental and lifestyle factors, not genetics, including smoking, poor diet (red meat, fried foods), alcohol, sun exposure, pollutants, infections, obesity, and inactivity; only 5–10% are due to inherited genetic defects, with most cancers arising from lifestyle-induced genetic mutations. Tobacco alone accounts for about a third of cancer deaths, while diet, obesity, and inactivity contribute significantly, with controllable factors being key to prevention.
1. Myth: Cell phones cause glioblastoma. Fact: To date, there is no established link that cell phones cause glioblastoma. Several different studies have failed to find clear evidence of a link between cell phone use and brain cancer.
There are no studies with conclusive evidence to say that stress causes glioblastoma or any other type of glioma. However, we do know that overwhelming amounts of stress can reduce immune system function (the part of your body that fights off disease and tumors).
Risk factors of glioblastoma
Exposure to chemicals, like pesticides, petroleum, synthetic rubber and vinyl chloride.
Age: glioblastoma is most common in people aged 45 to 70. The average age at diagnosis is 64, though it can occur at any age. Gender: men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB) have a slightly higher risk than women.
Melbourne's Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac) consistently ranks as Australia's leading cancer hospital, often appearing in the world's top 20 specialized oncology centers, recognized for its dedicated cancer care, research, and training. Other highly-regarded Australian hospitals with strong oncology services include the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Austin Hospital, Westmead Hospital, and The Alfred, with several featured in global rankings alongside Peter Mac.
In October 2020, at the age of 32, Parker was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. The Wanted reunited in September 2021, but after a sudden deterioration in his condition, Parker died of complications from glioblastoma on 30 March 2022, at the age of 33.
Dementia is one of the most feared conditions among Australian health service consumers, second only to cancer.
Most deaths in Australia, like other developed countries, occur among older people (Figure 2.1). Sixty-eight per cent of deaths registered in Australia in 2023 were among people aged 75 or over (63% for males and 74% for females). The median age at death was 79.6 years for males and 84.6 years for females (Table S2.
Smoking, physical inactivity and low SES account for almost two thirds of all avoidable deaths. (Meta-analysis data of prospective cohort studies, from Stringhini et al., Lancet 2017). A puzzling finding is the small contribution of obesity as a cause of avoidable premature death.
Incurable cancers are those that current treatments cannot completely eliminate, often because they are advanced (spread) or have returned after initial treatment, but they are not necessarily untreatable; treatments like chemo, radiation, and new targeted therapies aim to control the disease, slow growth, relieve symptoms, and improve quality of life. Common examples of cancers often considered incurable include pancreatic, liver, brain, esophageal, and certain advanced lung cancers, but research continuously offers new hope, with many patients living longer with ongoing management.
However, we also know that there are ways to reduce your risk of developing 5 of the 6 less survivable cancers.
“Our recent analysis shows that many early-onset cancer types, including colorectal cancer, breast cancer, uterine cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, and multiple myeloma have increased more rapidly compared to late-onset cancer types.”
Astrocytes Feed Glioblastoma, Promoting Tumor Growth: Mouse Study. Starving glioblastoma tumors of the cholesterol made by astrocytes could suppress brain cancer progression.
October 08, 2025 – A new study led by Break Through Cancer's Accelerating Glioblastoma (GBM) Therapies Through Serial Biopsies TeamLab has revealed that an engineered virus therapy, CAN-3110, triggered powerful immune responses deep inside glioblastoma tumors that were invisible to standard imaging like MRI, according ...
The cause of most glioblastomas isn't known. Glioblastoma happens when cells in the brain or spinal cord develop changes in their DNA. Healthcare professionals sometimes call these changes mutations or variations. A cell's DNA holds the instructions that tell a cell what to do.