5 Things About DIPG That Will Help Us Understand It

Famous philosopher Voltaire said, “God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.” It is difficult to have a positive outlook when your child is facing a rare tumor-like DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) but it is necessary. It is the quality of life that matters the most, no matter how long it is. When facing DIPG, one of the greatest challenges we face is the lack of knowledge about it. These seven things will help us understand it better.


1. DIPG affects children majorly, it is uncommon in adults.

About 300-350 cases of DIPG are diagnosed every year in the United States, out of which most are in children aged below ten. Both boys and girls are equally affected. 

2. The disease occurs in a delicate area of the brainstem that controls critical body functions.

DIPG occurs in the “pons” of the brainstem of a person. The pons is a structure located in the upper part of the brainstem that controls functions like breathing, senses like hearing and taste, body balance, communication between different sections of the brain etc.

3. The symptoms of DIPG can appear suddenly.

A pontine glioma, DIPG grows rapidly. Some of the early symptoms include sudden hearing problems, nausea, headache, vomiting, problems with movements of the eyes and eyelids, weakness in the face and the limbs, loss of balance, problems in chewing and swallowing food among others.

4.A cure has not been found for DIPG yet.

Treatments like radiotherapy help with the symptoms of DIPG by shrinking the tumor but they do not cure it. Despite ongoing research, no definite cure has been found. Research conducted by Dr. Mark Souweidane of St. Baldrick has come close to finding a cure through injecting a high concentration of cancer-fighting drug directly into the tumor.

5.Awareness, acceptance and comforting can go a long way in helping to deal with DIPG.

As the awareness of this rare DIPG tumor is scarce, it is difficult for families facing DIPG to understand and face the disease. Accepting that your child is facing DIPG will help you comfort them and make it a little easier. Simple comforting techniques like giving them their favorite soft toys, cuddling with them under a blanket like Quility, or watching a superhero movie with them will help.


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DIPG Treatment: What Are the Options Available?

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No cure has been found for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) yet but efforts are being made to find a cure. However, there are steps that can be taken to ensure that your child goes through less pain. Let’s understand what is the current scenario and why certain conventional treatment options do not work permanently. Why brain surgery is not possible: Unlike other tumors, DIPG cannot be removed through surgery. DIPG occurs in the pons of the brain stem. A medical professional cannot conduct surgery in that part without damaging the brain tissue surrounding it, making surgery highly dangerous. DIPG is not a well-defined tumor. It spreads between brain cells and has no definite boundaries. It also grows rapidly. This is another reason why surgery is not possible. However, sometimes, when MRI scan results are atypical, a medical professional may need to perform a biopsy and extract a small part of the tumor for diagnosis. Also, surgery may ...
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