Children with diffuse pontine gliomas have a dismal prognosis. Because surgery in this area is difficult, radiation therapy has been the mainstay of treatment. Although some children may improve clinically after radiation therapy, the effect is short-lived and almost all progress within several months. Chemotherapy has not had a significant impact on survival. Interferon-alpha is a cytokine that has been studied in patients with gliomas and has demonstrated some activity in prior clinical trials.