report published by BRAIN TUMOUR RESEARCH on July 3, 2009

BRAIN TUMOURS: BIGGEST CANCER THREAT TO
YOUNG PEOPLE

More men under the age of 45 and women under 35 now die from a brain tumour in the UK than any other cancer reveals Brain Tumour Research in a report published today (1).  Latest figures show that overall mortality rates from cancer are decreasing despite increasing incidence; however for brain tumour patients, survival rates are getting worse.  Brain tumours cannot be prevented as their cause is unknown. Research for brain tumours is desperately underfunded and has been ‘forgotten’ by major cancer research funders, including the government, despite significantly affecting young people in the UK. Brain Tumour Research and leading medical experts warn that the situation will get worse unless the inequality of research funding and profile is addressed urgently.
The report shows:
o    While the five-year survival rates for many cancers is over 50% and rising to over 90% for some cancers, for brain tumours, the five year survival rate for men is 14.1% and women is now only 13.8%
o    In 2008, 58% more women died from a brain tumour than from cervical cancer
o    Brain tumours have overtaken leukaemia as the biggest cancer killer of children in the UK.  The number of children dying from a brain tumour in 2007 was 33% higher than in 2001; child deaths from leukaemia were 39% lower than in 2001
o    In 2008, 85% more people under the age of 65 died from a brain tumour than from leukaemia
o    20% of all cancers now spread to the brain
o    Brain tumour research receives less than 1% (0.7%) of cancer research spending in the UK.  Leukaemia research receives over £29 million (6.7%), almost 90% more research funding than for brain tumours. 
o    Funding for cancer research has directly led to improvements in survival rates for most cancers including breast cancer and leukaemia
o    The amount the government has spent on cancer research related to brain tumours in 2007-8 is half the ‘official’ figure of £970,000
Today a new research laboratory will be opened at Charing Cross Hospital, which has been entirely funded by individual donations to the Brain Tumour Research Campaign, a founding member charity of Brain Tumour Research.  The John Fulcher Molecular Neuro-oncology Laboratory hopes to create a research programme to develop more effective treatment for brain tumours (2).   

Wendy Fulcher, Chairman of Brain Tumour Research said:
“The opening of the laboratory is an important first step, but is just a drop in the ocean of what is needed. The government and major cancer research donors must increase the proportion it spends on research or the shocking statistics will only get worse.”

Mr Kevin O’Neill, Consultant Neurosurgeon, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London said:
“Brain tumours can afflict anyone of us, increasingly the younger section of the population which has led to brain tumours causing the biggest reduction in expected lifespan than any other cancer. They can’t be prevented or screened for as we don’t know the cause.  It is frustrating that treatment options are so limited. More research is desperately needed, but we are struggling to get funds.”

Professor Geoff Pilkington, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Neuro-oncology, University of Portsmouth said:
“Funding for brain tumour research significantly lags behind other cancers and clinical understanding of these cancers does not readily translate to brain tumours.  The situation is improving for so many cancer sufferers but brain tumour patients are being left behind.” 

Dr Colin Watts, Clinical Scientist and Hon Consultant Neurosurgeon, Cambridge University said:
“The clinical and economic burden of brain tumours is poorly recognised.  The picture revealed by Brain Tumour Research reveals just how bad the situation is.  There is a lack of resources at all levels of patient care and research pathways.  We are failing patients with brain tumours and people are dying.  More needs to be done.”
End