DIPG – Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma

DIPG is a fast-growing, hard-to-treat brain tumor that forms in the pons, a critical part of the brainstem. The brainstem controls essential functions like breathing and heartbeat, making these tumors especially dangerous and difficult to treat.

DIPG almost always affects children, with most diagnoses happening between ages 5 and 10, though it can appear in younger children and, rarely, in adults. It makes up about 10–15% of all childhood brain tumors, with roughly 300 children diagnosed each year in the U.S. While the prognosis is still very poor, ongoing research is beginning to provide new hope.