The swimmer British Archie Goodburn has revealed that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of inoperable brain tumour consisting of three oligodendrogliomas.
The professional swimmer Archie Goodburn has revealed that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of inoperable brain tumour. BBC News reports that the 23 year old began to experience unusual symptoms during trials for the 2024 Olympic Games, and received the devastating tumour diagnosis six weeks ago.
Goodburn explained that he has been diagnosed with three oligodendrogliomas. Cancer Research UK explains that these are rare and slow growing brain tumours that develop from the glial cells called oligodendrocytes. The most common symptoms include seizures and headaches.
Oligodendrogliomas mostly develop in the frontal lobes of the brain, but more rarely originate in the spinal cord, and very occasionally they can spread to other parts of the brain and spinal cord. The treatment for oligodendrogliomas depends on whether they are slow growing or fast growing.
The main treatment options include active monitoring of slow growing tumours, surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible; radiotherapy, which involves using precisely directed gamma rays to destroy the tumour cells; and chemotherapy.
Surgery may not always be possible if there is no clear border between the tumour and the healthy brain tissue. In Goodburn’s case, he has explained that the nature of his tumours means that traditional surgery is not an option, and he will undergo a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
He wrote on his Instagram: “Six weeks ago, my life experienced a profound change as I was diagnosed with three brain tumours. In December 2023, my training began to be interrupted by strange episodes. These episodes, initially thought to be hemiplegic migraines, would occur during hard training.”
“They would leave me with a loss of strength and a numb sensation on my left side, a deep feeling of fear, nausea and extreme deja vu. I now know that these were in fact seizures. With the trials behind me, I dug deeper into what was really causing these attacks. An MRI in May finally revealed what I’d begun to fear the most.”
“The silver lining to this diagnosis is that oligodendrogliomas generally respond better to radiotherapy and chemotherapy than many other serious brain tumour types. I am young, I am fit, I have the most phenomenal support network of friends, the best family I could ever hope for and a fantastic girlfriend by my side.”
He added: “I am determined to take this head-on, to remain positive and to keep being Archie.”
Despite suffering from headaches, nausea and a numb sensation down his left side, Goodburn only just missed out on qualifying for this year’s Olympic Games in Paris. He has previously won a bronze medal in the World Junior Swimming Championships and was part of the Scottish Commonwealth Games swimming team in 2022.
Radiotherapy is sometimes used as a second line of treatment after surgery to remove any remaining parts of the tumour. This process may involve Gamma Knife surgery, which is a form of stereotactic radiotherapy. This does not involve any surgical incisions, but is the delivery of multiple gamma rays that focus on the exact location of the tumour.
The high dose of radiation kills the tumour cells while avoiding the surrounding healthy tissue, minimising the risk of complications and side effects. The procedure takes between 15 minutes and several hours to perform, depending on the size and location of the tumour.
Stereotactic surgery is often used for more complex tumours or for patients who are not suitable candidates for conventional surgery. It is minimally invasive and usually the patient can go home from the hospital or clinic within the same day. After the procedure, the patient will be monitored with follow up scans and appointments.
The cause of oligodendrogliomas is not fully understood, although research into brain tumours is continually ongoing to shed more light on why they develop, and how they can best be treated. The current understanding is that brain tumours are rarely preventable, but may be linked to a range of genetic and environmental causes.
There is some evidence that the risk of developing a small number of specific types of brain tumour may be increased by being overweight or obese. They are slightly more common in women than in men, and in both genders they are more common in people over the age of 75.
Centres of Excellence for Stereotactic Radiosurgery treatment of complex Brain Tumours
Want to know more about Gamma Knife Treatment?
Our friendly staff are here to help you, get in touch with them today
