Therapeutic Hypothermia in Treating Glioblastoma: A Review

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most commonly occurring of all malignant central nervous system (CNS) tumors in adults. Considering the low median survival of only ∼15 months and poor prognosis in GBM patients, despite surgical resection with adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy, it is vital to seek brand new and innovative treatment in combination with already existing methods. Hypothermia participates in many metabolic pathways, inflammatory responses, and apoptotic processes, while also promoting the integrity of neurons. Following the successful application of therapeutic hypothermia across a spectrum of disorders such as traumatic CNS injury, cardiac arrest, and epilepsy, several clinical trials have set to evaluate the potency of hypothermia in treating a variety of cancers, including breast and ovaries cancer. In regard to primary neoplasms and more specifically, GBM, hypothermia has recently shown promising results as an auxiliary treatment, reinforcing chemotherapy's efficacy. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in utilizing hypothermia as treatment for GBM and other cancers.