Researchers have made breakthroughs in understanding and treating diffuse midline gliomas. Once considered a death sentence for children and adolescents, this progress offers new hope.
Ethan White, a member of the University of Michigan marching band, first noticed an issue at drum practice. He lost feeling in his right hand. Soon after, he tripped on stairs. After seeing a neurologist, he was diagnosed with diffuse midline glioma (D.M.G.) in March 2024.
D.M.G. is the most lethal pediatric cancer. Historically, children diagnosed with it survived around a year. Treatments were limited, mainly involving radiation that temporarily relieved symptoms. Despite this, most children died soon after diagnosis.
In recent years, understanding of D.M.G. has improved. Researchers identified a genetic mutation linked to many cases and tested therapies targeting the mutation’s effects. While not a cure, these treatments have slowed disease progression in some cases. A few patients have lived several years beyond diagnosis.
“For the first time, we don’t get zero survival,” said Dr. Sabine Mueller, director of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Center at the University of California, San Francisco.
In 2025, the FDA approved the first drug for D.M.G. Other treatments remain experimental.
Currently, Ethan White receives hospice care at home, with his parents caring for him full-time.
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