Cause The Walking Dead Star Kelley Mack Dies, Recognize The Dangers And Symptoms Of Glioma

Kelley Mack (Instagram/itskelleymack)

JAKARTA - The star of The Walking Dead series, Kelley Mack, who plays the character Addy, died at the age of 33 last weekend. He died after battling the central nervous system glioma, a rare and aggressive form of brain tumor.

"With unquenched sadness, we announce Kelley has passed away," wrote the family in Kelley Mack's official Instagram post, quoted on Thursday, August 7, 2025.

Meanwhile, glyoma is a brain tumor formed when a glyal cell, a cell supporting the central nervous system experiences uncontrolled growth. Glioma generally appears in the brain, but can also grow in the spinal cord.

Quoted from the Cleveland Clinic, although it rarely spreads to other parts of the body, glyoma is classified as cancer which can be life-threatening because it can develop quickly and attack brain vital areas.

Glioma is also the most common primary brain tumor. However, its types and aggressiveness vary widely, depending on the origin of the cell and its growth rate.

The types of glioma are divided into three, based on the origin of the cells, as follows.

- Astrocytoma, including glioblastoma, the most aggressive and common type, occurs in adults.- Pependymoma, commonly found in brain ventricles and more often experienced by children.- Oligodedroglioma, growth is slow but can become more aggressive over time.

Regarding the symptoms of glyoma depending on the location and size of the tumor. In general, sufferers will experience prolonged headaches, seizures, cognitive disorders, behavioral changes, balance problems, loss of sight, and weak or tingling on one side of the body.

Until now, the exact cause of glyoma has not been understood. Experts only believe that genetic mutations in the DNA of glyal cells trigger abnormal cell growth to the occurrence of glyoma.

For the risk factors that cause glioma, among them are age, radiation exposure, family history, to certain genetic conditions. Then, for handling this disease, it must be done quickly because it is aggressive.

The glioma treatment also relies on the type, location, size of the tumor, and age and health condition of the patient. Treatment includes a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

However, the treatment of glioma also often encounters problems. The operation of removing tumors is not always possible if the tumor is in a brain area that is difficult to reach or too close to a vital area, so it can only rely on chemotherapy.