A petition signed by more than 80,000 people urging the UK government to allocate £110m of funding for brain cancer research is to be presented to Downing Street. The mother of Laura Nuttall, who died earlier this year aged 23 from glioblastoma multiforme, known for being an aggressive form of brain cancer, said she was “horrified” by the disease’s treatment options. Nicola Nuttall argued that brain cancer needed specific funds as it did not respond to treatments used with other cancers, and that the tiny amount currently allocated to the disease was not sufficient.
Recalling the shock of discovering Laura’s diagnosis after a routine eye examination over three years ago, Ms. Nuttall said she was motivated to campaign for research funds so that other families would not have to suffer her family’s loss. Despite her daughter’s diagnosis and years of treatment, Laura Nuttall managed to work her way through her list of ambitions, including meeting Michelle Obama, commanding a Royal Navy ship and presenting the weather on BBC North West Tonight.
Brain Tumour Research is calling on the government to allocate £110 million for research to increase national investment in brain tumour research to £35 million a year by 2028. As per a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson, the department has already made £40 million available for research projects focused on brain cancer treatments and therapies. The department is also investing in research infrastructure, workshops, and training for clinicians to encourage further research funding applications via the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
“It just doesn’t make any sense,” said Ms. Nuttall, pointing out brain cancer’s 5% survival rate over five years as opposed to 80% for breast cancer. “How can a cancer that kills more under-40s and more children than any other cancer receive such a tiny amount allocated to it
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