The UK Government is set to announce a funding package of £40 million for brain tumour research, which was initially committed in 2018. This announcement will be made during a parliamentary roundtable, co-chaired by Health Minister Andrew Stephenson and Lucy Chappell, the chief executive of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The funding aims to develop new treatments and improve patient care, support, and rehabilitation for brain tumour conditions.
This initiative is part of a collaboration involving the Government, NIHR, the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM), various research funders, and charities. It responds to the call from the late Dame Tessa Jowell, who, before her death from Glioblastoma in May 2018, advocated for enhanced research and treatment of brain tumours. This week marks the sixth anniversary of her death.
Jess Mills, Dame Tessa Jowell's daughter and chief executive of the Tessa Jowell Foundation, emphasized the urgency of making this funding available to address the ongoing critical needs in brain tumour treatments and care. The funding is seen as pivotal in advancing precision medicine and transforming patient outcomes in brain cancer, particularly noting its status as the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among children and adults under 40.