On Monday Castle Point MP, Rebecca Harris, hosted campaigners, brought together by the national charity Brain Tumour Research, at the House of Commons to discuss the issues surrounding cancer research funding. Rebecca who is the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours, was presented with a set of stark facts by the charity. This encouraged a discussion on how government can improve outcomes for the 16,000 people diagnosed with a brain tumour each year.
Tragically brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40 and yet national cancer research spend on brain tumours is just 1%. Five-year survival rates for brain tumour patients lag behind other cancers at just under 20% while the average across all other cancers is 50%. While survival rates for many cancer patients have improved significantly in the last 40 years, brain tumours remain almost as deadly as they were in 1970; a terrifying and devastating prospect for those living with the disease.
The event was attended by Chris & Lisa Green from Canvey Island, whose tragic story of their son moved Rebecca to campaign for greater awareness of brain tumours. Chris Green said:
"We lost our gorgeous son Danny at the age of 11. Before he was diagnosed with a brain tumour, our beautiful, fun loving and energetic son was a typical 10 year old in every way, very much living for the moment and enjoying life. He had a passion for karate and was already a black-belt. He also loved his football. Danny went from being a healthy, lively child to needing intensive and prolonged rehabilitation to enable him to even speak and walk again following surgery to remove the tumour. Tragically we still lost him and it has left a huge void in his Mum’s and his big sister Hollie's lives, to say nothing of mine, which will never be filled.
"Every day families across the UK are given the dreadful news that a loved one has a brain tumour with no hope of a cure. Something needs to be done by Government and the larger cancer charities so that a far greater proportion of funds is allocated to research into brain tumours.
"We were delighted to be invited to attend the Parliamentary dinner and meet up with our MP Rebecca Harris, who is not only the chairperson of the APPG for brain tumours but also a patron of The Danny Green Fund, a member charity of Brain Tumour Research. Rebecca has been hugely supportive in helping to raise the profile of The Danny Green Fund, attending many of our events. “
The event organised by Brain Tumour Research outlined key policy changes the government could make to champion the fight against the disease, including:
• A pledge to increase research funding to £30 - £35m a year over ten years. This is the investment that is needed to prevent the devastation of brain tumours affecting current and future generations.
• A new national register of research, which tracks all research work and grants with the aim of reducing duplication, increasing transparency and highlighting the shortfall in disease areas such as brain tumours.
• Discussions will also focus on what more could be done to fund PhD research scholarships, the need to ring fence the medical research budget and a call to streamline the process for repurposing drugs, which means medicines already being used for treatment of other conditions could be more readily available for brain tumour patients.
Rebecca Harris MP said: “As a patron of The Danny Green Fund and the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours I am well aware of the devastating impact that brain tumours can have on people and their families.
The work that charities such as Brain Tumour Research are doing to improve the lives of the 16,000 people diagnosed every year with a brain tumour is essential. We know far too little about brain tumours. An increase in the level of research is vital if we are to provide the treatments that can save lives.
The dinner was a great success at raising this matter in Parliament and I now have a deeper understanding of the issues having heard from both scientists working for a cure and from people who been touched by this awful disease – I strongly support this campaign.”
Sue Farrington Smith, Chief Executive of Brain Tumour Research, said: “Based on our years of campaigning we have a clear set of recommendations for MPs, that represent the voice of our supporters. We need a clear plan from the government to kick start the changes that are needed to give patients the knowledge that more effective treatments are being identified and ultimately cures found.”