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A searchable blog on DIPG research, DIPG news, recent publications, DIPG Foundations, DIPG researchers, clinical trials as well as other issues relating to Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Tumors- both Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPGs) and Atypical Pontine Lesions (APLs).

For parents, family and friends of children with DIPG looking for information and connection to others dealing with DIPG please check the buttons on the right hand side for resources.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

DIPG in Adolescents- Presentation and Outcomes

ASCO starts tomorrow.   It is the biggest professional cancer meeting in the world.   There will be over 25,000 medical professionals from all over the globe to build bridges to conquer cancer.

The 2013 abstract statistics are amazing.  There were 5306 abstracts submitted from 75 countries.   Of those, 2720 were accepted for presentation at the meeting and another 2034 were additionally accepted for ePublication.   There were 172 abstracts submitted in the area of CNS Tumors and 81 in the field Pediatric Oncology.

One of those CNS abstracts happen to be on DIPGs!

Abstract: Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) in adolescents can have different prsentation but similar outcomes compared to middle childhood
Insitutions: NIH and Lurie Children's Hopsital of Chicago
Authors: Kathy Warren, Elad Jacoby and Jason Fangusaro

In this study 46 children between the ages 10-20 years of age (median 13)  were identified.   There was a female to male ratio of 1:0.77.

Symptoms: headache (39%); double vision (27%); cranial nerve issues (27%); dizziness (25%)
Two were incidental

Onset of Symptoms to Diagnosis:  2 days to 5 years (only 9 had symtoms less than 2 weeks)

Radiation: 39/42 patients had radation; 36% did not improve or got worse during riadation: 63% remained on steroids at the end of radation

Time to Progression: (n-32 for data available) 8 months median with a range of 2 months- 2.5 years; 2 alive and 1 in active treatment at time of abstract submission

Conclusion:  Adolescents are more like kids than adults with diffuse intrinsic pontine lesions with similarly abysmal survival stats.

Reference:
Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) in adolescents can have different prsentation but similar outcomes compared to middle childhood
http://abstracts2.asco.org/AbstView_132_118298.html