Today We Live Grey For May

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a brain tumor that is highly aggressive and difficult to treat. It occurs in an area of the brainstem (the lowest, stem-like part of the brain) called the pons, which controls many of the body's most vital functions such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate. Because of its location in the brain and how rapidly it progresses, DIPG is a "high grade" malignant brain tumor. DIPG is a glial tumor, meaning it arises from the brain's glial tissue that supports and protects the brain's neurons. It accounts for 10 percent of all childhood central nervous system tumors. Approximately 300 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with DIPG each year. While DIPG is usually diagnosed when children are between the ages of five and nine, it can occur at any age in childhood. It occurs in boys and girls equally and does not generally appear in adults.