More Under 40's Dying Of Brain Tumours

With more children and people under the age of 40 dying of a brain tumour than any other cancer in the United Kingdom, a leading researcher at Queen’s University Belfast is calling for an increase in spending on vital research.

Currently 16,000 people are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year in the UK. In Northern Ireland alone, approximately 200 – 250 brain tumour cases are operated on annually.

The call comes ahead of an event being organised by charity Brainwaves NI, as part of Brain Tumour Awareness month. The charity and the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology (CCRCB) at Queen’s are hosting an information evening to raise awareness about the prevalence of brain tumours and the need for vital research.

Taking place at 7pm on Wednesday, 28 March, the event is an opportunity for those affected by a brain tumour to find out about pioneering local research and to meet some of the leading researchers. Participants will also have an opportunity to take a tour of the laboratories and to meet with the researchers and clinicians involved in this research.

Dr Tom Flannery, lead brain tumour researcher at CCRCB at Queen’s, said: “The fact that brain tumours are the cause of more deaths of people under the age of 40 than any other cancer shows how much we need to address this issue. A greater awareness of, and a commitment for more funding into research on brain tumours, is essential in order to lower the number of people dying from the disease.

“The focus of our local research programme is on malignant gliomas – the most common adult primary malignant brain tumour. These tumours are characterised by their ability to invade the normal brain and by their relative resistance to current treatments. The incidence of these tumours is increasing worldwide making the need to find better treatments paramount to clinicians and scientists.”

(CD/GK)