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The term "prognosis" refers to predicting the likely outcome of treatment for a specific disease or condition, such as a brain tumor. The prognosis is based upon survival statistics that researchers collect about the outcomes of various types of treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy (or combinations of these treatments). The prognosis for patients with glioblastoma multiforme is influenced by a variety of factors including:

• Location of the tumor (operable or inoperable)
• How much of the tumor volume can be safely removed (extent of surgical resection)
• How much necrosis is present within the tumor as observed with MRI imaging studies
• Age of the patient
• Patient's performance status - extent of neurological and functional impairment.

In general, the median survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme is about 9 to 12 months and only about 5% of patients survive for 5 years. Younger patients with good performance status where most of the tumor can be surgically removed tend to have a better prognosis. Most patients, however, eventually succumb to their disease, usually as a result of local tumor persistence or recurrence.

Patients who survive 5 years usually do not have recurrence of the tumor. Research suggests that patients who tended to live the longest after diagnosis were more likely to:

• have had a long disease-free interval after initial diagnosis
• have had extensive surgical resection of the tumor
• have received additional treatments (radiation therapy, chemotherapy)
• be women
• be younger than 40 years at diagnosis.

Patients who undergo multiple surgeries, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are often faced with severe episodes of side-effects, particularly nausea, hair loss, diarrhea, and pain. However, the additional survival benefit offered by these treatments often gives individuals more time to spend with their families and enables them to accomplish important personal goals that would otherwise not be possible without treatment.