Term: diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma

Pronunciation: (dih-FYOOS in-TRIN-sik PON-teen glee-OH-muh)

Description:

A rare, fast-growing tumor that forms in cells called glial cells in a part of the brain stem called the pons. Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas tend to spread to nearby tissue and other parts of the brain stem, are hard to treat, and have a poor prognosis (outcome). They usually occur in children. Also called DIPG.