Govt ‘Should Focus Money On Brain Tumour Research’

Mar 16, 2022

The government needs to plough more money into brain tumour research if it wants to make an impact in saving lives, a charity stated in response to the Department for Health and Social Care’s War On Cancer.

Earlier this month, the government launched an open consultation entitled 10-Year Cancer Plan: Call For Evidence, requesting ideas and evidence over a period of eight weeks to shape a decade-long plan to improve patient care, advance technologies and reduce the number of people affected by this dreadful disease.

The secretary of state Sajid Javid said: “It is time to declare a national war on cancer, which is the biggest cause of death from disease in this country. It is a menace that has taken far too many people before their time and caused grief and suffering on a massive scale.”

While the Brain Tumour Research charity welcomes the government’s plans to tackle disparities and inequalities, focus on early diagnosis, intensify research and improve cancer prevention, its director of research, policy and innovation Dr Karen Noble noted “the devil is in the detail”.

She said only 40 per cent of cancer cases are triggered by preventable risk factors, and the causes of brain tumours, specifically, remain unknown. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to provide health education on how to prevent certain cancers.

“The answer to that lies in greater understanding of the disease because before public health advice comes scientific research,” Dr Noble stated.

At least £35 million a year is required to invest in brain tumour research in order to find a cure for the disease within the next 20 years.

Brain Tumour Research, therefore, would have wanted to see more details about how the government intends to ‘intensify cancer research’ within its plan.

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