More than half of the money pledged by the Government to fund brain cancer research in honor of Dame Tessa Jowell has yet to be “deployed”, a charity has said.
Dame Tessa, a former Labor minister, dedicated the last years of her life to raising awareness of brain cancer before dying from a brain tumor in 2018.
After his death, the government announced it would make £40 million available to brain tumor researchers.
But £28 million of that has yet to be paid to scientists, Brain Tumor Research said.
The association’s chief executive, Dan Knowles, said: “£28 million of promised government funding has still not been deployed.
“This money has not yet been used to fund researchers, and it has not yet brought new hope to patients and their families.
Actor Craig Russell, pictured with his family, had surgery for a brain tumor last year
The father-of-two, from Falmouth, Cornwall, was going blind in his left eye and his skull became deformed before undergoing surgery to replace part of his skull.
“Investing in research leads to innovation and clinical trials, which generate new knowledge, new techniques, new treatments and better options and outcomes for patients. Without investment in research, clinical advances will not occur.
“In recent decades, other cancers have seen increased research investment and associated improvements in survival.” Now is the time for us to make the same investment in brain tumors and find a cure for this devastating disease.
This is the second time in recent years that the government has been criticized for not releasing promised funds for research.
In 2021, the government has committed at least £50 million to motor neuron disease (MND) research.
But the Department of Health and Social Care has been accused of withholding funding following the death of former Scotland rugby international Doddie Weir in November 2022.
The Motor Neurone Disease Association said at the time that no money had been paid to researchers, prompting ministers to act.
Brain tumor campaigners will now gather in Westminster to urge ministers to release more funding and declare brain tumors a “clinical priority”.
Among them, actor Craig Russell, who underwent surgery for a brain tumor last year.
Russell, who played Mark Antony in the Netflix drama Queen Cleopatra, was diagnosed with meningioma after suffering months of migraines and bouts of brain fog.
“Before I learned I had a brain tumor, I didn’t realize how poorly funded research into this disease was,” he said.
The 46-year-old, who played Mark Antony in Netflix drama Queen Cleopatra, was diagnosed with meningioma after suffering months of migraines and bouts of brain fog.
The father-of-two, from Falmouth, Cornwall, was going blind in his left eye and his skull became deformed before undergoing surgery to replace part of his skull.
“Before I learned I had a brain tumor, I didn’t realize how poorly funded research into this disease was,” he said.
“This opened up conversations with friends and family who remarked on how they were noticing more and more stories of brain tumors in their daily lives.
“The fact that brain tumors kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet only 1% of national spending on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since beginning of the surveys in 2002, is ridiculous.”
Russell in a scene from Netflix’s historical docudrama Queen Cleopatra, a hit on the streaming service
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Brain cancer is a devastating disease, which is why we have made £40 million available for research projects specifically looking for new treatments and therapies to combat this disease.
“We have invested in research infrastructure, workshops and training for clinicians to advance developments in this area.
“And we continue to encourage further applications for research funding from successful applicants through the National Institute for Health and Care Research.”
“We recognize the need to do more and will host a roundtable in May for researchers to come together to discuss how to accelerate progress in this important area.”
The department spokesperson added: “Brain tumors are a challenging area of research with a relatively small research community and we rely on researchers to submit high-quality research proposals.
“We have invested in every suitable search application.”