Brain cancer funding campaign reaches Parliament
BBCA campaign demanding more funding for brain cancer research will be discussed in Parliament, after an e-petition attracted more than 100,000 signatures.
Georgie Maynard, from Bessels Leigh in Oxfordshire, co-founded the group Brain Cancer Justice after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour three years ago.
The Brain Tumor Charity says brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40, yet accounts for just 1% of cancer research funding.
The Department of Health and Social Care said it is "establishing a national Brain Tumour Research Consortium" and announced a £13.7m investment to support groundbreaking research to develop novel treatments.
Georgie MaynardMaynard said: "The core reality of brain cancer is striking. So many people just don't know enough about it - they don't know how impactful it is, and our first objective is to raise awareness".
The e-petition also asks Parliament to "enshrine the right to try innovative treatments".
Mrs Maynard says she been speaking to leading brain cancer scientists: "They are excitingly finding new things that are, potentially, the cure for brain cancer but they're not being funded.
"It's sitting on the shelf at that beginning stage and we're not seeing it crack through".
Responding to the petition, The Department of Health and Social Care said it is: "committed to securing patient access to effective and innovative new medicines....
"There are established routes to support timely access for NHS patients to safe and clinically- and cost-effective new medicines and there are no plans to introduce a new Right to Try initiative for new treatments".
Maynard said: "There are so many barriers that are preventing GPs, oncologists, surgeons, scientists, patients all understanding what's going on - how they can help each other - collaboration is just so important in this space".
The Department of Health and Social Care said: "We understand that more needs to be done to boost research into brain tumours.... Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years, including for brain cancer".
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