The current state of the problem of diagnosing and treating diffusely growing gliomas of the brainstem in children and adolescents

Diffusely growing brain stem tumors are among the most severe and, to date, almost incurable diseases. Currently, their diagnosis is mainly based on data from clinical and radiological research. Radiation therapy is the only real means of temporarily stabilizing tumor growth and increasing life expectancy. The duration of the effect achieved with this depends on the degree of aggressiveness of the tumor. With the resumption of tumor growth, repeated radiation therapy in most cases can improve the patient's quality of life and increase its duration, but its strategy (indication, dosage, accompanying therapy) has not yet been developed, which makes it rarely used. The use of existing chemotherapy drugs did not make significant changes in the results of radiation therapy. The hope of increasing the effectiveness of treatment is associated with the recent study of the molecular genetic characteristics of a tumor, which will create the basis for developing methods of targeted therapy.