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Brain Tumour: Mum's Second Battle, Urgent Plea
25 Oct
Summary
- Charlotte Curnow faced a glioblastoma diagnosis after a previous brain tumour.
- Brain tumours kill more under 40s, yet research funding is critically low.
- She urges the government to increase brain tumour research investment.
Charlotte Curnow, 56, from Nottingham, has twice battled brain tumours. Her first diagnosis, a low-grade glioma, occurred in 2004. After surgery and a period of stability, scans in 2023 revealed a regrowth, this time as an aggressive and incurable glioblastoma.
This second diagnosis, described by Charlotte as feeling like a "death sentence," underscores a critical issue: brain tumours receive critically low research funding. Between 2002 and 2021, only 1% of national cancer research funding was allocated to brain tumours, with charities funding nearly three-quarters of this research.
Charlotte is now joining a call for increased government investment. She urges a national annual spend of at least £45 million in research. This funding aims to improve survival rates and patient outcomes, bringing them in line with other major cancers like breast cancer and leukaemia.
Despite the challenges, including "scanxiety," Charlotte emphasizes the importance of speaking up for oneself and trusting instincts. She celebrates milestones like her son's graduation, advocating for making the most of life while pushing for better research to offer hope to future patients.
