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Information for journalists

Our media team is made up of former journalists who provide reporters with information about The Charity’s activities.

This includes the research we’ve funded, current healthcare issues, our campaigning and support work, incredible fundraising feats, and personal stories about those affected by a brain tumour diagnosis.

For broadcasters, our spokespeople include our Senior Leadership Team, Involvement Champions and ambassadors listed here.

See our latest news here

Facts and figures on the prevalence of brain tumours and their impact is available to download here along with data sources.

To share our information describing a glioblastoma brain tumour and its symptoms, please use this link.

For all media enquiries please email pressoffice@thebraintumourcharity.org in office hours. At evenings and weekends, phone 07990 828385.

About The Brain Tumour Charity

Registered Charity No. 1150054 (England & Wales) SC045081 (Scotland)

The Brain Tumour Charity is the UK’s largest dedicated funder of research into primary brain tumours. It’s also the only UK charity tackling research on all three fronts: by funding the most promising research globally, offering support services to those who need it right now and by campaigning for changes to healthcare policy.

Research: The Brain Tumour Charity funds an extensive and diverse portfolio of research across the UK and internationally, which aims to transform the research landscape for people with brain tumours and give rise to the best chance of finding the treatments that are so desperately needed. Find out more about our research funding here:

Support: The Charity has a comprehensive support and information service for anyone who is affected by a diagnosis for however long they need. This includes a support and information helpline, Information Standard accredited fact sheets, free counselling by trained volunteers, online peer-to-peer support and a dedicated Children and Families Service. Here are 10 ways we help.

Awareness: Too often, we hear of missed or delayed diagnoses. That’s why the Brain Tumour Charity works with healthcare professionals and raises awareness of the symptoms and effects of brain tumours. Its HeadSmart cards helped reduce average diagnosis times in children from more than 13 weeks to 6.5 weeks between 2018 and 2020. Now, ‘Better Safe Than Tumour’ aims to do the same in adults.

Campaigns: In March 2024, more than 52,000 people signed our open letter calling for all UK Governments to implement a National Brain Tumour Strategy to cater for the specific needs of our community. This was the culmination of the findings from a number of our published reports about gaps in care which you can find here.

The Charity is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities, The Information Standard, The Helplines Partnership and the Fundraising Standards Board.

The Facts

  • Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of the under 40s.
  • Just 12% of adults survive for five years after diagnosis.
  • Around 5,300 people lose their lives to a brain tumour each year.
  • High grade brain tumours reduce life expectancy by an average of 27 years – the highest of any cancer.
  • According to Cancer Research UK, more than 12,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour each year – an average of 34 people every day in the UK.
  • Thousands more are diagnosed with secondary brain tumours, which are not recorded.
  • Brain tumours are the largest cause of preventable or treatable blindness in children.
  • Childhood brain tumour survivors are 10 times more likely to have disabilities than well children.

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