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Ministers pledge renewed focus on brain cancer
research, including doubling government investment in a £40
million
Brain Cancer Research Fund - part of a £65m research
package
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Government announces today that it will fulfil requests
made by
with commitment to full national rollout of a key brain cancer
diagnosis test - gold standard dye - to identify tumours as
well as accelerated use of adaptive trials
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UK will host an annual
global symposium, to bring together the best clinical,
scientific and academic minds on brain cancer.
The Government has today [Monday May 14] announced a renewed
focus on brain cancer research, in honour of .
The
Brain Cancer Research Mission covers several of ’s campaign requests, and will include a boosted
research fund, an annual global symposium and new commitments to
clinical excellence in her name.
This follows a meeting had
with the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary in Downing
Street in February.
Commenting, Prime Minister said:
"Baroness
faced her illness with dignity and courage - and it was a
privilege to host her in Downing Street recently to discuss what
more we can do to tackle brain cancer. We send our sincere
condolences to her family - and I hope that the actions we are
taking now and in the future to improve care and research for
those confronting a terrible disease will form part of the
lasting legacy of an inspirational woman."
Announcing the Mission, Health Secretary said:
“ was
one of those few politicians who could inspire and unite across
party lines. We were all moved by her bravery and selfless
campaigning in her final months, and are determined to honour her
life and memory with the action on brain cancer that she fought
so hard for. At this agonising time, I hope her family can draw
comfort from the fact that her legacy will be lives saved and
heartbreak averted for thousands of other families.’
Health Minister Lord O’Shaughnessy will lead the work to
implement these commitments. Lord O’Shaughnessy said:
“We are deeply saddened by this loss – did
more than anyone to shine a light on the need to improve research
and care for people with brain cancer.
“It is a great privilege and honour to take forward this work,
which we hope will boost life-saving research and transform brain
cancer care in the way that Tessa called for.”
The research fund will initially consist of £65 million, and we
will aim to increase it each year as high quality research
proposals that can boost outcomes for people diagnosed with brain
cancer emerge. £40 million in Government funding will be
bolstered by £25 million from Cancer Research UK, on top of the
£13 million it spends each year on research and development of
cancer treatments.
This research will be backed by new clinical commitments –
including a national rollout of one of the key brain cancer
diagnosis tests, gold standard dye, which is used to identify
tumours. This dye is currently only used in half of brain cancer
centres in England.
There is also a new commitment to accelerate the use of adaptive
trials – to test different treatments at the same time and speed
up the process.
In addition, the UK Government will host a new
global symposium, which will bring together the best clinical,
scientific and academic minds on brain cancer, in order to
identify gaps, best practice and priorities in research.
Each year around 11,400 people in the UK are diagnosed with a
brain tumour and just 14% of people survive their disease for 10
or more years. It is hoped the
Brain Cancer Mission will stimulate innovative new research and
clinical practice to boost outcomes of people diagnosed with
brain tumours.
ENDS
Notes to editors
The initial research funding is being invested through the
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) over the next 5
years. The first national call was made to research teams in
April, to put forward innovative new proposals.
