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Proceedings of the diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) Toronto Think Tank: advancing basic and translational research and cooperation in DIPG

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Abstract

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) nearly exclusively affects children. The prognosis of DIPGs has remained grim despite more than three decades of clinical research and numerous clinical trials. More than 90% of the children with DIPG will succumb within 2 years of diagnosis. The tumor’s incidence is still undefined, but data suggest 100–150 affected children annually in the US. The single proven effective treatment modality in DIPG remains radiation therapy. For the majority of patients however this treatment is only of transient effectiveness. Recent breakthroughs in the understanding of the molecular biology of DIPG have raised new hope and opened new avenues for therapeutic options. The advancement of basic and translational research and cooperation was the objective of the Toronto Think Tank, as new approaches are urgently needed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Haematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada

    Ute Bartels & Eric Bouffet

  2. Division of Pathology, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Cynthia Hawkins

  3. Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA

    Gilbert Vézina

  4. Department of Radiological Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA

    Larry Kun

  5. Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Mark Souweidane

  6. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Mark Souweidane

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  1. Ute Bartels
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  2. Cynthia Hawkins
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  3. Gilbert Vézina
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  4. Larry Kun
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  5. Mark Souweidane
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  6. Eric Bouffet
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Correspondence to Ute Bartels.

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Bartels, U., Hawkins, C., Vézina, G. et al. Proceedings of the diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) Toronto Think Tank: advancing basic and translational research and cooperation in DIPG. J Neurooncol 105, 119–125 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-011-0704-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-011-0704-4

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