HOW TO SPOT A DIPG TUMOR
DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliom) is a malignant brain tumor that grows quickly and is likely to spread.
DIPGs are glial tumors, meaning they arise from the brain's glial tissue - tissue made up of cells that help support and protect the brain's neurons
They are found in a lower part of the brain stem called the pons.
The pons is responsible for a number of critical bodily functions, such as breathing, sleeping and blood pressure.
DIPGs account for 10 percent of all childhood central nervous system tumors. Between 200 and 300 children in the US are diagnosed each year, usually between the ages of five and nine.
The symptoms of DIPG usually develop very rapidly prior to diagnosis, reflecting the fast growth of these tumors.
The most common symptoms include:
Problems with balance and walking
Problems with the eyes (including double vision, drooping eyelids, uncontrolled eye movements, blurred vision)
Problems with chewing and swallowing
Nausea and vomiting
Morning headaches or a headache that gets better after the child vomits
Facial weakness or drooping (usually one side)
Surgery to remove the tumor isn't always an option due to the dangers of operating on critical areas of the brain. Radiotherapy tends to be the standard form of treatment.
The prognosis for DIPGs remains very poor, although a small percentage of patients survive this disease.
Only 10 percent of children with DIPG survive for two years following their diagnosis, and less than one percent survive for five years.
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