DIFFUSE INTRINSIC PONTINE GLIOMA AWARENESS DAY 17 MAY

That this House recognises that diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is the second most common type of primary, high-grade brain tumour in children and affects around 40 children in the UK each year; further recognises that early DIPG symptoms include vision issues, partial facial paralysis, balance problems and frequent headaches or nausea and that later symptoms include inability to walk, talk and swallow; believes that, due to the location of the tumour, DIPG is not amenable to surgery, that the radiotherapy offered in the UK is for palliative purposes only and that median survival post-diagnosis is nine months with just 10 per cent of children affected surviving for longer than two years after diagnosis; notes that the prognosis has not improved for children with DIPG in more than 40 years; further notes that there is a severe lack of funding for research of DIPG with a fraction of cancer research funding going towards paediatric brain tumours; welcomes the research and work undertaken by organisations such as the Brain Tumour Charity and the Institute of Cancer Research; calls on the Government to increase funding for researching DIPG to further improve and enhance recognition and treatment of this devastating illness; acknowledges that more than 20 US states officially recognise 17 May as DIPG awareness day; and further believes that the recognition of the day in the UK would be an important step in supporting families and moving towards funding more effective treatments.