Key Summary
- The Brain Tumour Charity says more patients are crowdfunding or selling homes to access treatment abroad
- Limited NHS options push patients to seek innovative therapies overseas
- Calls for urgent UK investment, faster innovation, and clearer pathways from MHRA to improve access
More and more brain tumour patients are resorting to crowdfunding to get treatment abroad to seek more effective treatment, says a report by The Brain Tumour Charity and GoFundMe.
According to Independent, one in ten brain tumour fundraisers cite overseas treatment as a reason.
People are either selling or remortgaging their homes or depending on crowdfunding to avail overseas treatment.
“Despite being one of the six less survivable cancers, standard NHS treatment options have changed little in decades, relying primarily on surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy,” states the charity in its recent report ‘Unlocking Innovation for Brain Tumours in the UK’.
The charity shared the story of Claire Nutter, a beauty therapist from Burnley, who has exhausted all her resources, including the NHS services, to seek medical help for her condition in Germany.
The Brain Tumour Charity has urged the authorities in the UK to encourage innovative treatments for the suffering patients.
As brain tumours remain as on the least survivable diseases in the UK, innovations for timely diagnosis and treatments are urgently need.
The charity’s report recommends the government to develop a national framework including universities, funding bodies, industry and clinical settings to translate innovative treatment ideas into reality.
It urges the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to associate with other reimbursement bodies to create a clear and stage-wise regulatory road map for early-stage as well as rare diseases innovation.
