About DIPG

DIPG Awareness

Myth or Fact?

How much do you know about the deadliest childhood brain tumor? Flip the cards to find out.

Revealed

Total

"DIPG can be removed with surgery."

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× MYTH

DIPG grows within the pons, a part of the brainstem that controls breathing, heart rate, and swallowing. The tumor is woven into this vital tissue, making surgical removal impossible.

"There is no FDA-approved treatment for DIPG."

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! RECENTLY CHANGED

This was true for over 50 years. In August 2025, the FDA approved dordaviprone (Modeyso) for recurrent H3 K27M-mutant DMG, the first-ever approved drug for this disease. It's not a cure, but it's a turning point.

"Childhood cancer research gets about 4% of federal cancer funding."

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✓ FACT

Only about 4% of NCI cancer research funding goes to all pediatric cancers combined. That 4% is split across 12 major types and over 100 subtypes, including DIPG.

"DIPG mostly affects adults."

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× MYTH

DIPG primarily affects children between ages 3 and 10. About 300 children are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Adult cases are very rare.

"Most children with DIPG survive less than a year."

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✓ FACT

Median survival is 9-11 months from diagnosis. The 2-year survival rate is about 10%, and the 5-year rate is less than 2%. It is the leading cause of brain tumor death in children.

"Chemotherapy works well against DIPG."

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× MYTH

Traditional chemo has not been effective against DIPG. The blood-brain barrier blocks most drugs from reaching the tumor. Over 250 clinical trials have failed to improve survival.

"DIPG treatment barely changed between 1970 and 2025."

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✓ FACT

Radiation has been the only standard treatment since the 1970s and provides only temporary relief. The 2025 approval of dordaviprone (Modeyso) is the first real change in over 50 years.

"No one has ever survived DIPG."

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× MYTH

There are long-term DIPG survivors, though very few. Understanding what makes their cases different is an active area of research and could unlock new treatment approaches.

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DIPG steals roughly 300 children per year in the U.S. alone. Research funded by families and foundations is the reason the first treatment was approved in 2025. Every dollar matters.

tatertough.com • thecurestartsnow.org • chadtough.org • dipg.org

Gold = Childhood Cancer Awareness

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