Brain tumour patients “failed at every stage”

PATIENTS with brain tumours are failed at every stage – from diagnosis and treatment to research funding – according to House of Commons Select Committee chaired by Warrington North MP Helen Jones.
The report is the first to be issued by the Petitions Select Committee since it was established and reveals the distressing experiences of people whose lives have been affected by the disease.
It also explores the reasons behind the historic underfunding of research under successive governments.
The committee took evidence on diagnosis and awareness of the condition,  as well as on current funding levels,  research priorities and the challenges facing brain tumour charities.
It now calls for the government to give a clear statement of whether it believes that current levels of funding are adequate, and if not, asks what it will do to ensure that funding for brain tumour research increases.
More than 120,000 people have signed a petition calling for increased funding for brain tumour research.
Ms Jones said:  “The Petitions Committee’s first report makes clear recommendations to the government about the lack of funding for research into brain tumours.  As part of this inquiry we heard testimonies both from victims of this terrible disease, and from clinical specialists working in the area.
“The evidence was clear – something must be done to improve outcomes for patients,  and barriers to research must be removed.  This report was initiated by the public; it is a vitally important issue and I hope the government takes our recommendations seriously.”
The Committee heard moving examples of the difficulty that patients had had in being diagnosed with a brain tumour,  as well as clinical evidence on the challenges involved in identifying the condition early.  It recommends that measures be immediately taken to increase awareness amongst health professionals of the symptoms of brain tumours.
“Patients with brain tumours are failed at every stage – from diagnosis and treatment to research funding ”, placing the onus on the government to take remedial action to correct decades of under-funding.
Key areas covered by the report include: Awareness and diagnosis; Funding levels; Barriers to research; Setting research priorities; Burden of disease; availability of therapeutic drugs.