Nicholas Shawn Whipple, MD, MPH

Articles

Expert Perspectives and Key Takeaways in pLGG Management

September 25th 2025

Experts discuss pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG) as the most common childhood central nervous system (CNS) tumor, emphasizing a personalized, collaborative approach that integrates evolving molecular insights and patient factors to tailor treatments, improve quality of life, and offer hope through ongoing research and multidisciplinary care.

Personalizing Treatment in Relapsed/Refractory pLGG: Expert Insights

September 18th 2025

Experts discuss managing progressive pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs), emphasizing early communication with families about the likelihood of multiple therapies, the importance of personalized treatment decisions considering patient and family factors, and transparent education on potential adverse effects to support informed, confident care choices.

R/R pLGG With a KIAA1549-BRAF Fusion Treated With Tovorafenib

September 18th 2025

Experts discuss the use of tovorafenib, a selective pan-RAF inhibitor, in treating relapsed pediatric low-grade glioma with a KIAA1549-BRAF fusion, highlighting its efficacy and safety while underscoring the importance of precise molecular profiling to guide therapy and avoid contraindicated treatments.

Shaping pLGG Treatment With Tovorafenib: Clinical Takeaways From FIREFLY-1

September 11th 2025

Experts discuss recent advances in pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG) treatment, highlighting tovorafenib’s FDA approval and strong clinical trial results—including high response rates and vision stabilization—alongside dabrafenib and trametinib, which together offer more effective, targeted therapies that improve disease control and quality of life for patients.

FIREFLY-2: Investigating the Future Role of 1L Tovorafenib in pLGG

September 11th 2025

Experts discuss emerging treatments for pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs) with BRAF V600E mutations, highlighting promising options like pan-RAF inhibitor tovorafenib (currently under frontline clinical trial) and the dabrafenib-trametinib combination, emphasizing tailored choices based on efficacy, adverse effects, and patient preferences to improve outcomes and reduce treatment burden.

Management of BRAF V600E–Mutant Ganglioglioma in a 16-Year-Old Girl

September 4th 2025

Experts discuss the frontline treatment of a pediatric low-grade glioma case, highlighting the successful use of targeted therapy with dabrafenib and trametinib in a BRAF V600E-mutated ganglioglioma, underscoring the critical role of genetic profiling in guiding individualized care.

pLGG Care in Focus: Personalizing Therapy Through Multidisciplinary Collaboration

September 4th 2025

Experts discuss the critical role of a multidisciplinary team in pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG) care, emphasizing collaborative treatment planning that integrates diverse specialist insights, tumor biology, and patient-family preferences to tailor personalized, balanced, and adaptive management strategies.

A New Era in pLGG: Expanding the Treatment Toolbox With Targeted Therapy Options

August 25th 2025

Experts discuss the evolution of systemic therapy for pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG), highlighting the shift from traditional chemotherapy to targeted oral agents that exploit MAPK pathway alterations, offering effective, better-tolerated, and more convenient treatment options tailored to each child’s unique clinical and molecular profile.

The Role of Advanced Neuroimaging to Guide Surgery in pLGGs

August 25th 2025

Experts discuss the growing role of advanced imaging and surgical planning tools in managing pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs), highlighting how technologies like functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) help preserve neurologic function while guiding strategic, conservative interventions that prioritize long-term quality of life and developmental outcomes.

From Diagnosis to Targeted Therapy: MDT Insights for Biomarker Testing in pLGG

August 18th 2025

Experts discuss the foundational role of molecular testing in diagnosing pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs), emphasizing how next-generation sequencing (NGS) and methylation profiling enhance tumor classification, guide targeted therapy, and support precision medicine—even amid variability in institutional testing access.

Molecular Drivers in pLGG: Impact on Prognosis and Treatment Choices

August 18th 2025

Experts discuss the critical role of molecular profiling in pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs), highlighting how MAPK pathway alterations—particularly BRAF mutations—inform prognosis and guide targeted therapies, enabling more personalized and effective treatment strategies.

MDT Perspectives in pLGG: Surgical Resection and Biopsy Considerations

August 11th 2025

Experts discuss the nuanced surgical and biopsy decision-making in pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs), emphasizing personalized risk-benefit assessments that prioritize long-term neurologic function and quality of life alongside effective tumor control.

Landscape Overview of Pediatric Low-Grade Gliomas (pLGGs)

August 11th 2025

Experts discuss the diagnosis and management of pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs), highlighting their distinct biology, the role of conservative surgery and molecular profiling, and the importance of multidisciplinary, biomarker-driven care to personalize treatment and improve outcomes.