Intra Arterial Chemotherapy of Brain Stem Gliomas Treatment in India

Vihaan Iyer is a 7-year-old boy...

Vihaan Iyer is a 7-year-old boy from a close-knit family in Mumbai, India, who loves cricket and solving puzzles. His parents first noticed a slight droop in his smile and a subtle clumsiness in his right hand. Over three months, this progressed to frequent stumbling, double vision, and a persistent headache that made him withdraw from play. An MRI at a local hospital revealed a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) in his brainstem, a devastating diagnosis. His neurosurgeon, Dr. Mehta, explained that traditional surgery was impossible due to the tumor's location. He recommended Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy as a targeted approach to deliver high-dose chemotherapy directly to the tumor while trying to spare healthy brain tissue. The procedure itself was anxiety-inducing for Vihaan's parents; he was sedated as a catheter was threaded from his groin artery up to the vessels supplying the brainstem. The first 48 hours post-procedure were tough, with nausea and fatigue. However, within two weeks, the double vision subsided and his balance improved slightly. Follow-up scans showed the tumor had stabilized. Emotionally, the journey was a rollercoaster, from the despair of the initial diagnosis to the fragile hope the procedure provided. Vihaan's parents now cherish each stable scan and small improvement, focusing on his comfort and quality of life, though they live with the underlying fear of progression.