Re-Examining the Need for Tissue Diagnosis in Pediatric Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas: A Review

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.

Cite this article as:

Infinger Kosnik Libby and Stevenson B. Charles, Re-Examining the Need for Tissue Diagnosis in Pediatric Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas: A Review, Current Neuropharmacology 2017; 15 (1) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1570159X14666160425114024