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Mum's Plea: "No New Brain Cancer Treatments in Decades"
16 Jun
Summary
- No new brain cancer treatments have emerged in over twenty years.
- Campaign for research funding discussed in Parliament after petition.
- Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of young adults.
New therapies for brain cancer are urgently needed, as there have been "literally no new treatments for 20-odd years," according to Nicola Nuttall, mother of the late campaigner Laura Nuttall. Laura died in May 2023 at the age of 23 after being diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme in 2018.
A campaign by the Brain Cancer Justice group for increased research funding was discussed in Parliament on Monday, prompted by a petition with over 100,000 signatures. Nicola emphasized that funding needs not only to be allocated but also effectively utilized, stating that treatments have largely remained the same for decades, consisting of radiotherapy, surgery, and one chemotherapy drug.
The Brain Tumour Charity reports that brain tumours are the largest cause of cancer-related death in children and adults under 40, despite receiving only 1% of cancer research funding. Health Minister Sharon Hodgson assured Parliament that the government would fund high-quality brain cancer research, building on previous investments and ongoing collaborations with researchers and charities.
