Home About DIPG and DMG Effects and Causes

Effects & Causes

For decades, little was understood about DIPG/DMG tumors.

However, in recent years, researchers have gained the ability to analyze tissue due to the increased safety of brainstem biopsies.

Effects of DIPG/DMG

DIPG leaves kids mentally intact but steals essential bodily functions, depriving a child of the ability to walk, stand, eat, drink, and even talk.

Initially, children with DIPG commonly experience double vision, reduced eye movement, facial weakness or asymmetry, and arm and leg weakness.
As the tumor progresses, it interferes with breathing and heartbeat, which is ultimately fatal.

Unlike many other cancers, DIPG and DMG cannot be surgically removed because of where they grow, and symptoms often worsen quickly. Families are forced to watch their child lose abilities they once had, even as their intelligence and awareness often remain intact.

Causes of DIPG/DMG

DIPG is not known to be hereditary, meaning it is not passed down from parent to child. The genetic mutations that cause DIPG are also not known to be environmentally influenced, meaning there is nothing a parent did or did not do that caused DIPG to occur in their child.

DIPG is a classic example of a developmentally based tumor because it is influenced by particular cells that are present in the highest concentrations while the brain is developing. This theory is supported by the fact that DIPG/DMG most often occurs during middle childhood, a period in which the brain develops significantly.

Although researchers have made tremendous strides in understanding DIPG/DMG, the disease structure is complex and more research is needed to fully understand the causes.

Next: facts and Prognosis

Effects & Causes

For decades, little was understood about DIPG/DMG tumors.

Effects of DIPG/DMG

Causes of DIPG/DMG

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Effects & Causes

For decades, little was understood about DIPG/DMG tumors.

Effects of DIPG/DMG

Causes of DIPG/DMG

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You Can Help

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