Title:Re-Examining the Need for Tissue Diagnosis in Pediatric Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas: A Review
Volume: 15
Issue: 1
Author(s): Libby Kosnik Infinger and Charles B. Stevenson
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Brainstem, brainstem glioma, DIPG, glioma, pediatric brain tumorm, pediatric neuro-oncology, pontine glioma,
radio surgery.
Abstract: Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a malignant brain tumor of
childhood that carries an extremely poor prognosis. There are ~200-300 new cases
diagnosed each year, [1, 2] and little progress has been made in changing the
prognosis and outcome of the tumor since it was first documented in the literature in
1926 [3]. The median overall survival is 8-11 months [4], with an overall survival
rate of 30% at 1 year, and less than 10% at 2 years [4]. This review will provide
background information on DIPGs, a historical look at the trends in caring for DIPG,
and current trends in diagnosis and treatment. By changing the way we care for these
terminal tumors, we can work towards having a better understanding of the
underlying molecular biology, and attempt to develop better chemotherapeutic tools
to combat the disease.
