How do I donate to DIPG?

If you would like to make a donation by mail please send a check to: The Cure Starts Now Foundation; 10280 Chester Road; Cincinnati, OH 45215.

Can you remove a DIPG tumor?

Unlike many brain tumors, a DIPG tumor cannot be removed through surgery. Attempting surgical removal of a brain stem tumor would likely cause severe neurological damage and could even be fatal. Surgery is not an option for two reasons.

Has anyone survived a DIPG tumor?

DIPG has zero survival rate. Erin was given nine months to live.

What are the chances of surviving DIPG?

What is the Survival Rate of DIPG? The survival rate of DIPG is very low, with the disease currently being considered a fatal cancer. The chances of surviving 2 years following a diagnosis are about 10% while the chances of surviving beyond 5 years is about 2%, which happens to be up by 1% since 2018.

Is it possible to remove a diffuse DIPG tumor?

Diffuse means that the tumor is not well-contained – it grows out into other tissue so that cancer cells mix with healthy cells. For this reason, it is impossible to surgically remove DIPG tumors without damaging healthy tissue, making it very hard to treat.

What does diffuse brain cancer ( DIPG ) mean?

Diffuse means that the tumor is not well-contained – it grows out into other tissue so that cancer cells mix with healthy cells. For this reason, it is impossible to surgically remove DIPG tumors without damaging healthy tissue, making it very hard to treat. Pontine indicates that the tumor is found in a part of the brainstem called the pons.

How does a DIPG tumor affect a child?

DIPG is an aggressive tumor that interferes with all bodily functions, depriving a child of the ability to move, to communicate, and even to eat and drink. As a DIPG tumor begins to grow, it puts pressure on the nerves that control the essential bodily functions regulated by the pons.

Why was there no progress in the study of DIPG?

However, knowing that scarcity of tumor tissue was one of the reasons for lack progress in the study of DIPG, both my husband and I agreed to the donation. A cell line has since been developed from McKenna’s tumor that is now available for study to researchers around the world.