Published: 25 September 2024
By Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at Department of Health and Social care and Chief Executive Officer of National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Last week the NIHR launched two new calls for brain tumour research as part of the Government’s commitment to developing new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours. This, together with a third component – the launch of a new Tessa Jowell Allied Health Professional (AHP) research fellowship later this year - will be a powerful package that will result in a much-needed step-change in brain tumour research in adults, children and young people.
Brain tumours have a devastating impact on people and their loved ones, with around 12,700 new cases diagnosed each year. Brain tumours have a 5-year survival rates of under 13%, and each year around 5,500 people die from a brain tumour (Cancer Research UK).
Research is central to improving patient outcomes
Too little is known about how to prevent, diagnose, manage and treat brain tumours whether in adults or children. Research investments are fundamental to shifting the dial. In the 5 years between 2018/19 and 2022/23* NIHR directly invested £11.3 million in research projects and programmes focused on brain tumours across 15 awards.
In addition, our wider investments in NIHR research infrastructure (facilities, services and the research workforce) further allow us to leverage research funding from other donors and organisations. These investments are estimated to be £31.5 million**, between 2018/19 and 2022/23, and have enabled 227 brain cancer research studies to take place in the same period. In total NIHR investments have enabled 8,500 people to participate in potentially life-changing research in the NHS over this time.
Our investments are already having an impact on patients. The NIHR funded research that informed the 2024 NICE guidance for a new targeted drug combination treatment for one of the most common types of brain cancer in children and young people. This treatment stops disease progression for over three times as long as standard chemotherapy for some children. As a result of this research, NICE has recommended this combination treatment in final draft guidance – meaning this research will improve the treatment of many children.
Driving stronger progress
But we know that more research is needed. The approach announced last week will transform the outcomes for patients and their families who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing the lives lost to cancer. This will be done by maximising the UK’s clinical trials potential and working with the life sciences sector to make the UK a leading location for brain tumour research. Last week’s announcement follows a three-strand approach:
- Collaboration is central in driving forward the highest quality brain tumour research. A new national Brain Tumour Research Consortium will bring together researchers from a range of different disciplines and institutions with the aim of driving scientific advancements in how we prevent, detect, manage and treat rarer but less survivable cancers, in both adults and children. Brain tumours are commonly detected at later stages, making it harder to treat them. We are seeking research to enable the earlier detection of brain tumours to tackle this barrier, together with a wider variety of more effective treatment options.
- Improving the quality of life of patients living with brain tumours will make a difference to many patients, carers and families. The consortium announcement will be complemented by a second research funding call focusing on generating high-quality evidence to improve care, support, and rehabilitation for patients with brain tumours.
- Supporting a new Tessa Jowell Allied Health Professional (AHP) research fellowship will fund and train two early-career AHPs or other healthcare professionals to research how to improve the quality of life of patients. It will be funded by the NIHR and led by the TJBCM. Further details will be available later this year.
By providing the funding to build a national consortium, we will bring scientists and researchers who have been specifically working on brain tumours together with those from other disciplines to accelerate the evaluation and translation of treatment options through clinical research. This step-change will build investigator capacity to facilitate the evaluation of novel technologies through a variety of approach. It is vital that the most promising treatment opportunities are made available to patients as widely as possible.
We are committed to furthering our investment and support for high-quality brain tumour research, ensuring that funding is used in the most meaningful and impactful way.
Collaboration will be crucial in driving innovation. I call upon the brain tumour research community to take up this opportunity and work to ensure you embed the needs of patients, carers, researchers, and clinicians at every stage. Together we can and we will transform lives.
* The most recently reported 5 financial years across NIHR programmes and infrastructure spend.
** NIHR Infrastructure investment is an approximation as it is calculated in proportion to funding allocated through infrastructure schemes, and is therefore not directly attributable to particular studies.