The Wanted's Tom Parker Dead at 33 After Being Diagnosed With Brain Tumor: 'He Fought' Until the End.
Known medically as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the cancer has also claimed the lives of senators Ted Kennedy and John McCain, actors Robert Forster and Tim Conway, as well as Beau Biden.
Tom Parker, the British singer who rose to fame as a member of the boy band The Wanted, has died almost two years after he was first diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma.
Boy band singer Tom Parker died this afternoon following a battle with brain cancer. Tom, aged 33, had been diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) an aggressive and incurable form of the disease in October 2020.
The Wanted singer Tom Parker's death from brain cancer shocks music world.
Singer Hazel O'Connor has been left 'overwhelmed' by the support of fans as she continues to 'work hard' on her recovery. It comes after the '80s singer suffered a severe bleed on the brain last January. Hazel, from Coventry, has been in recovery since last year after she collapsed at her home in France.
Long-Term Glioblastoma Survival
Although the average life expectancy after diagnosis is 14 to 16 months, approximately 1% of patients survive at least 10 years. Currently, the longest anyone has survived a glioblastoma is more than 20 years and counting.
In the final stages of the disease, the patient's body will begin to shut down. Patients may lose the ability to speak, eat, and move. They may also suffer from seizures, hallucinations, or changes in breathing pattern. The skin may take on a bluish tint, and the patient may become increasingly lethargic.
Glioblastoma
Though it's the third most common of all brain tumors, glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor, which means it originates in the brain. It's also the most lethal.
Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain and other CNS tumors accounting for 47.7% of all cases. Glioblastoma has an incidence of 3.21 per 100,000 population. Median age of diagnosis is 64 years and it is more common in men as compared to women.
In most cases, the exact underlying cause of glioblastoma multiforme is unknown. In rare cases, it can occur in people with certain genetic syndromes, such as neurofibromatosis type 1, Turcot syndrome and Li Fraumeni syndrome.
It is estimated that more than 10,000 individuals in the United States will succumb to glioblastoma every year. The five-year survival rate for glioblastoma patients is only 6.9 percent, and the average length of survival for glioblastoma patients is estimated to be only 8 months.
Part of the reason why glioblastomas are so deadly is that they arise from a type of brain cell called astrocytes. These cells are shaped like a star, so when the tumors form they develop tentacles, which makes them difficult to remove surgically. Additionally, the tumors advance rapidly.
Glioblastoma is the most lethal primary central nervous system cancer. Part of the reason the tumor is so deadly is because it is hard to treat. The tumor itself is invasive and aggressive – it develops tentacles that invade other areas. This makes it hard to completely remove with surgery.
A potential genetic link
While most glioblastomas are not believed to be inherited, the risk of developing this type of brain cancer appears to be elevated in individuals who are diagnosed with certain genetic cancer syndromes, such as: Neurofibromatosis type 1. Turcot syndrome.
The pain is persistent and tends to get worse whenever you cough, change positions or exercise. You may also experience throbbing—although this depends on where the tumor is located—as well as vomiting.
Myth: Having glioblastoma means your family is at increased risk for developing a brain tumor. Fact: Glioblastoma is a brain tumor that almost always develops sporadically. Being diagnosed with glioblastoma does not mean your children or siblings are more likely to develop glioblastoma or another brain tumor.
I know many glioblastoma (level 4) survivors that have beaten the odds – one is over 16 years out clean- another is almost 25 years out. If you are inclined, don't just accept the percentages. Get Radical Remission by Kelly Turner – a game changer.
Incredibly, 2021 marks the 17th anniversary of Carmen Rice's survival from Stage 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) brain tumor. Originally given six months to live, Carmen beat the odds to become the longest living survivor of the deadliest form of brain cancer.
Glioblastoma never goes into remission, he says. Additional surgeries and treatments are expected, “like an oil change,” Dalton says. Recurrences are common in up to 70 percent of glioblastoma patients.
Former Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy died of glioblastoma in 2009. Both men survived a little more than a year after diagnosis. The American Cancer Society reports the median length of survival among adults with glioblastoma is 12 to 18 months.
This would go far to explain the astonishing fact that after his diagnosis with Alzheimer's, Tony Bennett continued to tour extensively, singing his 90-minute set of sophisticated music with such panache, precision and professionalism that audiences and critics never suspected his condition.
Some people make a full recovery from their brain tumour. Others will have some long term side effects. It isn't possible to tell beforehand how things will work out.
Susan Boyle is back on stage after a health scare. The 62-year-old made a surprise appearance on the June 4 finale of Britain's Got Talent to perform the song that she is best known for, "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables, after which she revealed that she suffered a stroke in 2022.