DIPG Facts
Brain Tumors Are The Leading Cause Of Childhood Cancer Death…
What is DIPG?
What is DIPG? Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a brain tumor found in a part of the brain stem called the pons. The pons controls essential bodily functions such as heartbeat, breathing, swallowing, eye movement, eyesight, and balance.
What Causes DIPG?
No one knows what causes a child to develop a DIPG tumor. Some cancers are caused by particular genes that a person inherited from his parents, but there is no evidence that links DIPG to any specific inherited genes. Other cancers are caused by environmental factors (such as smoking or exposure to chemicals or radiation), but there is no evidence that links DIPG to any environmental factor.
Overall Survival Rate Is Less Than 1%
What is the Treatment for DIPG?
There are not many ways to combat DIPG. Treatments such as Biopsy, Radiation, and Chemotherapy are some of the few methods of treatments.
Prognosis for a child diagnosed with DIPG
Medical advances in the past 40 years have greatly improved the survival rates for children diagnosed with most types of cancer. But these medical advances have done nothing for children with DIPG.