Breakthrough Treatment of Rare Brain Tumor Achieved for the First Time in the World
For the first time in the world, a successful treatment of a rare and dangerous type of brain tumor in a child has been achieved, bringing hope for positive advancements in the treatment of this perilous disease.
According to a report by the international news agency AFP, Leuk's was only 6 years old when doctors discovered he had a brain tumor. However, it wasn't an ordinary brain tumor but a rare type of growth in his brain, which was nearly impossible to treat.
French doctor, Jacques Grille, was emotionally shaken when he had to inform Leuk's parents that their son was dying. However, 7 years later, Leuk's, now 13, shows no signs of the tumor remaining in his brain.
Leuk's, hailing from Belgium, is treated by researchers associated with the Brain Tumor Program at the Gustave Roussy Cancer Center in Paris. Dr. Jacques Grille, head of the program, states that "Leuk's has overcome all odds to stay alive."
The tumor, also known as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), is diagnosed in nearly 300 children in the United States and 100 in France each year.
February 15 marks International Childhood Cancer Day, and the medical community has praised this breakthrough, with an 85% survival rate observed in children diagnosed with cancer living beyond 5 years.
However, the situation remains extremely challenging for children with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). Such children often don't survive even a year. According to a recent study, only 10% of children diagnosed with this type of tumor survive for two years or more.
While radiotherapy can sometimes slow down the progression of the tumor, so far, no effective medication has been found for this disease.