e-440 (Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma )

Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembled

• Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (D.I.P.G.) is an aggressive, inoperable brainstem tumour with a 0% survival rate;
• D.I.P.G. is usually diagnosed in normal, healthy children between 5-10 years of age after a sudden onset of symptoms;
• Children with D.I.P.G. are fully aware of what is happening to their body as they lose their ability to see, walk, chew, swallow, talk, hear, and breathe until their heart finally stops beating;
• The median survival rate from a D.I.P.G. diagnosis is only 9 months, and 90% of children diagnosed with D.I.P.G. will die within 2 years of diagnosis;
• 80% of brain tumour deaths in children are from D.I.P.G. tumours;
• There have been no new advances in treatment options for D.I.P.G. in 50 years;
• Families, friends, peers, and communities are devastated each year with the loss of more children to D.I.P.G. because there is NO cure; and
• Raising the awareness of both practicing professionals and the public through a national D.I.P.G. Awareness Day would inspire researcher interest, raise public awareness, encourage D.I.P.G. research funding and, in turn, result in viable treatment options and a cure for D.I.P.G. to save the lives of D.I.P.G. children around the world.