The Brain Tumour Charity
type: channel
date: 2026-06-10T09:33:00Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Neurolase: Making brain tumour surgery safer through the Cancer Tech Accelerator
items: Rolling with the punches: Hugo’s boxing fundraiser for mum Sophie Kinsella
items: “I’m living with a brain tumour and want to return to uni to shape future treatments.” ~ Annie’s story
items: AI tool could help tailor treatment for most common adult brain tumour
items: Uniting to respond to the Timms Review into PIP
items: Volunteers’ Week: Thank you to all our volunteers
items: Jasper Dix’s epic Thames Path Walk fundraiser pushes total over £100,000
items: Sarah’s 200km in May challenge
items: Breaking down brain tumour terminology
items: Busting seven common clinical trial myths

Neurolase: Making brain tumour surgery safer through the Cancer Tech Accelerator
type: item
creator: Matt Simpson
date: 2026-06-10T08:01:48Z
subject: Research
subject: Cancer Tech Accelerator
subject: neurosurgery
subject: our research
subject: research
description: As part of the Cancer Tech Accelerator, we’ve awarded Neurolase £50,000 to advance a laser-based tool that could help make brain tumour surgery more precise. The post Neurolase: Making brain tumour surgery safer through the Cancer Tech Accelerator appeared first on The Brain Tumour Charity.
encoded: The Cancer Tech Accelerator (CTA) supports projects that enhance cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment. It is helping to ensure that promising ideas and innovations can benefit people with cancer as soon as possible. Of the five projects awarded funding through the CTA in 2025, three focus on brain tumours. This includes a project funded by us and a further two projects funded by Cancer Research Horizons. See the full list here Improving brain tumour surgery As part of the CTA, we’ve awarded Neurolase £50,000 to help develop a device that could improve the safety and effectiveness of brain tumour surgery. The medtech company’s promising, non-invasive approach combines Artificial Intelligence (AI ) and laser light to help surgeons distinguish between healthy tissue and tumour tissue. Removing more tumour tissue is associated with increased survival and a reduced risk of the tumour coming back. Improved symptoms and quality of life are also possible due to healthy brain tissue not being unnecessarily removed. How does Neurolase’s technology work? Neurolase has developed a handheld device – shaped like a pen – for use during surgery. It is easy to use and requires minimal training. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1542" height="2056" src="https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/02/IMG_5628-1-1542x2056.jpeg" alt="Dr Babar Vaqas demonstrating how the Neurolase probe can be used on a model brain " class="wp-image-56041" srcset="https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/02/IMG_5628-1-1542x2056.jpeg 1542w, https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/02/IMG_5628-1-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/02/IMG_5628-1-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/02/IMG_5628-1-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/02/IMG_5628-1-1568x2091.jpeg 1568w, https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/…

Rolling with the punches: Hugo’s boxing fundraiser for mum Sophie Kinsella
type: item
creator: Piers Townley
date: 2026-06-09T06:07:14Z
subject: Blog post
subject: High Profile Supporter
subject: Supporter stories
subject: fundraising
subject: high profile supporter
subject: supporter stories
description: Author Sophie Kinsella’s son, Hugo Wickham, is stepping into the ring to raise funds for The Brain Tumour Charity The post Rolling with the punches: Hugo’s boxing fundraiser for mum Sophie Kinsella appeared first on The Brain Tumour Charity.
encoded: Hugo’s mother, author Sophie Kinsella, died in December 2025 of glioblastoma. In her memory, Hugo joined hundreds of other walkers at The Twilight Walk in London during Brain Tumour Awareness Month – part of the family’s continued support of The Charity. Not to be outdone by his younger brother Oscar’s recent half marathon, Hugo has upped the stakes by putting on the gloves for a boxing fundraiser at The Troxy in Limehouse, London, on 19 June. Lacing up his gloves is definitely out of his comfort zone: “I’ve never loved cardio training, I’m more of a weight training guy; doing stuff like training for halves or marathons (ahem, Oscar) is a popular route but it’s not me. When training for an event like this, it’s easier to stay motivated and on track than knowing that, regardless of cause or fundraising or anything like that, if I slack off I will get punished for it with a punch in the face. Nothing focuses the mind quite like that!” It’s been a big fitness challenge get match ready as the bout gets ever closer. “The organisation I’m doing this with (White Collar Boxing London) is very rigorous in ensuring everyone who fights is physically up to the task. Part of this is a pair of bleep tests (the ones most of us did in school) near the start and end of the camp, as well as a very nasty ‘Sprint Test’ in the middle, which is like the bleep but much worse. The longest 12 minutes of my life!” As yet, Hugo’s opponent is the biggest unknown. “I’ve been told his name, but besides that I know nothing yet about him; his height/reach, his weight (significantly lighter or heavier than me?), his fitness compared to mine. All these things can help me with my strategy – the way I’d prepare for someone four inches shorter than me is very different to how I’d prepare for someone four inches taller. “In my first fight, due to late dropouts changing up the matchups, I didn’t know who I was fighting until the afternoon of the event. That was nerve-wracking, especially for a first time…

“I’m living with a brain tumour and want to return to uni to shape future treatments.” ~ Annie’s story
type: item
creator: Jo Porter
date: 2026-06-08T10:50:26Z
subject: Blog post
subject: Treatments
subject: access to treatment
description: When Annie started getting headaches that felt like a bandsaw going down the side of her face, she knew something wasn't right. The post “I’m living with a brain tumour and want to return to uni to shape future treatments.” ~ Annie’s story appeared first on The Brain Tumour Charity.
encoded: Friends, family and total strangers are rallying round a young woman from Manchester to help fund brain tumour treatment for her that’s not available on the NHS. They want to help Annalise Donelon – known as Annie – to fulfil her dream of returned to university to study genomic medicine and contribute to improving treatments for other people living with brain tumours. Annie’s diagnosis Annie, 20, from Bury, was diagnosed with a high-grade brain tumour in October 2025 after repeated visits to GPs complaining of fatigue and then headaches. She was studying Chemical Engineering at Newcastle University at the time and when her symptoms got worse she couldn’t get a doctor’s appointment, so she went to hospital. The junior doctor she saw wasn’t concerned, but she happened to see the same doctor when she returned with the same symptoms the following week. He remembered her and referred her for a CT scan. A follow up MRI scan revealed a lesion deep in her brain. Annie’s mum Lisa, who also has twin 14-year-old daughters, said: “We first noticed Annie’s fatigue at Christmas in 2024, but what teenager isn’t tired? She had blood tests which showed a vitamin B12 deficiency, so she started on B12 injections and when they didn’t help, even after more frequent injections, it was put down to hormones or stress. “Then she started to get headaches which she described as like a bandsaw going down the side of her face. Her GP prescribed various medications over the following months, but nothing worked. She knew in herself that something wasn’t right.” When the results of the scan came through, the doctor phoned Lisa who travelled to Newcastle to be with her daughter. They opted to have surgery nearer home and waited for a bed to become available at Salford Royal Hospital. Lisa continued: “Annie’s surgery took place days later under the care of neurosurgeon Professor Pietro D’Urso, who we believe saved her life. He removed most of what would normally be an inoperable tumour and will rema…

AI tool could help tailor treatment for most common adult brain tumour
type: item
creator: Hannah Clargo-Jones
date: 2026-06-08T08:03:56Z
subject: Media
subject: Research
subject: meningioma
subject: our research
subject: research
description: Artificial intelligence (AI) could help better inform treatment planning for meningioma, our researchers have found. The post AI tool could help tailor treatment for most common adult brain tumour appeared first on The Brain Tumour Charity.
encoded: Scientists at the University of Toronto and Mayo Clinic have pioneered a new tool that uses AI to analyse images of tumour tissue, providing doctors with reliable information in less than an hour. The tool requires only a laptop to run. It could help identify meningiomas that have a high risk of growing back quickly after surgery and may therefore benefit from earlier, more aggressive treatment. We funded the study with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Findings have been published in The Lancet Digital Health. What did the study find? Meningiomas are usually low grade, but some grow quicker than others and may come back after treatment. In this study, researchers applied AI to images of surgically removed meningioma tissue from more than 600 patients. These images are routinely available following surgery. Results showed the AI tool could reliably classify meningiomas into molecular groups, achieving up to 97% accuracy. A growing body of work shows that these groups can help doctors give a more accurate prognosis and personalised treatment plan than more traditional approaches. Why is an AI tool important? Significantly, these new findings suggest that AI can provide the same level of insight into meningioma biology and behaviour as expensive molecular tools. This is important because molecular tools are only available at select institutions. It can also take several weeks to get the results. Meningioma research Dr Gelareh Zadeh, who is one of our Quest for Cures grant holders, was a senior author on the paper. Her work is driving new understanding of meningiomas, the most common adult brain tumour, and how best to treat them. Find out more The models developed in this study are now being made publicly available. Researchers hope they can be a useful decision support tool for clinicians, while validation for wider use is ongoing. Welcoming the new AI tool <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1536" height="2048" data-id="59313" src="https://assets.t…

Uniting to respond to the Timms Review into PIP
type: item
creator: Glenn Saitch
date: 2026-06-05T14:48:05Z
subject: Policy & Public Affairs
subject: benefits
subject: PIP
description: We’ve united with 12 leading cancer charities to respond to the government’s Timms Review into Personal Independence Payments (PIP). The post Uniting to respond to the Timms Review into PIP appeared first on The Brain Tumour Charity.
encoded: From reduced income to the often-unseen costs of daily life with a life-limiting illness, the financial impact of brain tumour diagnosis quickly adds up. Financial support from the government – including Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – is therefore vital for many families in the brain tumour community. That’s why we’ve united with 12 other leading cancer charities to write to Sir Stephen Timms and the co-chairs of the Timms Review into PIP to share what we’d like the system to look like for people facing cancer and other serious long-term health conditions. We’ve also submitted evidence to the Timms Review highlighting the vast unmet need for brain tumours. Read the joint letter Read our submission to the Timm’s Review What is PIP? Personal Independence Payments (PIP) is a disability benefit for those aged 16-65. It’s payable when someone has a long-term health condition or disability. You become eligible for PIP if you need help with everyday tasks (called Daily Living) or getting around (called mobility), have needed this help for three months and expect to need it for another nine months. Learn more about brain tumours and PIP What is the Timms Review into PIP? In 2025, the government published a consultation document (a Green Paper) outlining broad changes to the welfare system (you can read our response to that consultation here). Since then, the Timm’s Review was launched to directly shape how PIP assessments and eligibility will function in the reformed system. The Timms Review into PIP is an official government review of PIP that is looking at: How PIP supports disabled people today and what might need to change to support disabled people in the future. How well the eligibility criteria captures the impacts of people’s conditions for both the Daily Living and Mobility elements of PIP. What – if any – other evidence should be considered alongside the assessment. How PIP can provide the right amount of support at the right time. How PIP gives people acce…

Volunteers’ Week: Thank you to all our volunteers
type: item
creator: Jo Porter
date: 2026-06-01T07:26:00Z
subject: Celebrating You
subject: Charity news
subject: volunteering
description: If you’ve ever received a certificate to thank you for fundraising for us, it may have been created and sent to you by one of our amazing volunteers. This Volunteers' Week we’re celebrating all those 406 individuals – but especially our longest serving volunteer Vera. The post Volunteers’ Week: Thank you to all our volunteers appeared first on The Brain Tumour Charity.
encoded: ‘Why I volunteer’ Vera Barrett, who’s now in her early 80s, says she “wouldn’t be without” her volunteering work because it gives her week structure. She heard about The Brain Tumour Charity after her husband, Reg, was diagnosed with glioblastoma brain tumour. He had a seizure in January 2005 followed by two lots of surgery, six weeks of radiotherapy and one chemotherapy treatment. But he became too unwell to continue with it. He sadly died in December 2006. Vera started volunteering for The Charity in 2008 and has continued to do so ever since – apart from an enforced break during Covid-19 restrictions. 18 years of volunteering Vera said: “There was a patient support group that met in Hartley Witney every month or so and we went to several of their meetings. Then I asked for donations to the charity at Reg’s funeral. “I decided to get more involved and went into the office in Yateley once a week to do admin tasks like filing and putting information packs together. At that time there were fewer than 10 staff! I’ve also helped at a couple of Twilight Walks and local events, but my age is beginning to catch up on me, so I’m mostly office-based now. “I help with updating the database, printing Thank You certificates for fundraisers, the post, helping the events team prepared for an event and generally making myself useful. I keep coming back as I feel I am making a small contribution to the cause. A huge thank you Supporter Care Officer Amy Close, who often works alongside her, said: “We always look forward to catching up with Vera. “Far from only making a small contribution, she’s indispensable and does a superb job, freeing us up to respond to email enquiries and answer calls.” Vera, who’s now married to Alan, has also had her own health issues which means her usual three-mile walks around Windsor Great Park are occasionally cut short. But she remains stoic and spritely – and we’d like to say a huge thank you to her and all our volunteers for their time and efforts v…

Jasper Dix’s epic Thames Path Walk fundraiser pushes total over £100,000
type: item
creator: Piers Townley
date: 2026-05-29T11:17:44Z
subject: Fundraising
subject: Supporter stories
subject: challenge
subject: fundraising
subject: supporter stories
description: Jasper Dix, who is living with a malignant brain tumour, completed the 185-mile route from the source to the Thames Barrier on Monday 25th May The post Jasper Dix’s epic Thames Path Walk fundraiser pushes total over £100,000 appeared first on The Brain Tumour Charity.
encoded: Thames Path Walk: An epic challenge Despite record-breaking temperatures over the May bank holiday weekend, 27-year-old Jasper and his fellow walkers crossed the Thames Path Walk challenge’s finishing line at the Thames Barrier at 2.30pm, having walked 18km from London Bridge that day. It took him three weeks to complete the 185-mile route, as he wanted to break the walk into manageable sections, so that as many people as possible could join him along the way. Jasper studied physics at Oxford University and played rugby for both Northampton Saints Academy and Oxford University. He was working in Amsterdam when he suffered his first seizure in December 2024, so had to return home to Cambridge. He was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour and underwent major brain surgery on New Year’s Eve. Doctors then told Jasper that his tumour was terminal and he had between one and five years to live. Despite this, Jasper was determined to remain positive and to do all he could to raise vital funds and awareness for The Brain Tumour Charity whilst he was still well. Jasper said: “In December of 2024, following a couple of epileptic seizures, I was diagnosed with a terminal grade 4 astrocytoma which has a typical prognosis of one to five years. I was expedited into surgery on New Year’s Eve and then began nine months of treatment which included radiotherapy and chemotherapy. “As a result, I began thinking of ways to connect with my many friends and raise money for a good cause.” “As a keen through-hiker, when my mind turned to fundraising, I thought a nice long walk would be perfect. We are blessed to have a wonderful collection of National Trails in the UK and, as an Oxford graduate with many of my friends in London, there was only one Trail that would link both – the Thames Path.” The Thames Path Walk follows Britain’s iconic river, a route that takes it through Cotswold villages and towns before finishing at the Thames Barrier. Jasper has been the sole organiser of the walk a…

Sarah’s 200km in May challenge
type: item
creator: Piers Townley
date: 2026-05-22T08:15:48Z
subject: Fundraising
subject: Supporter stories
subject: challenge
subject: fundraising
subject: supporter stories
description: Inspired by her husband’s brain tumour diagnosis, Sarah Neal is racking up the miles to raise funds for The Brain Tumour Charity The post Sarah’s 200km in May challenge appeared first on The Brain Tumour Charity.
encoded: A daily challenge The challenge’s tally means Sarah needs to maintain at least 7km each day in May, in between family life and demands. She’s running to support The Charity and for her beloved husband Chris, who was diagnosed with an astrocytoma brain tumour in March 2023, after suffering a seizure while working away in Holland. Since then, Chris has endured two surgeries and three rounds of chemotherapy, and his strength is an inspiration to family and friends. “When he was diagnosed, he was on his own, away from me and the kids – we had to facetime the news. It was brutal,” says Sarah. Buoyed on by support from Chris, their two children Lucas nine, and Ava 12, and family and friends, Sarah is halfway through the challenge and has already raised over £7,000 in donations. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1536" height="2048" data-id="59002" src="https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/05/original-E771F6FB-9D88-4545-B123-5092E7C03F2D.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-59002" srcset="https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/05/original-E771F6FB-9D88-4545-B123-5092E7C03F2D.jpeg 1536w, https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/05/original-E771F6FB-9D88-4545-B123-5092E7C03F2D-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/05/original-E771F6FB-9D88-4545-B123-5092E7C03F2D-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1536" height="2048" data-id="59001" src="https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/05/original-EA2DD8C1-5828-4B5D-A7AE-0CB7058757B4.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-59001" srcset="https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/05/original-EA2DD8C1-5828-4B5D-A7AE-0CB7058757B4.jpeg 1536w, https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/05/original-EA2DD8C1-5828-4B5D-A7AE-0CB7058757B4-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/05/orig…

Breaking down brain tumour terminology
type: item
creator: Jo Porter
date: 2026-05-21T08:00:00Z
subject: Charity news
subject: Media
subject: Support
subject: high grade
subject: low grade
subject: malignant
description: Low grade, high grade, benign, malignant, brain tumour, brain cancer – what do these terms actually mean? The post Breaking down brain tumour terminology appeared first on The Brain Tumour Charity.
encoded: When someone is diagnosed with a brain tumour, they may be overwhelmed by the need to understand a new and confusing language. This article aims to provide a shortcut to the terminology healthcare professionals use, so that patients, care givers, colleagues, employers, journalists, policymakers – all of us, in fact – can better understand what is being discussed, and why the words we use matter. The Brain Tumour Charity, Brain Tumour Research, brainstrust – the brain cancer people and Brain Tumour Support have collaborated on this blog post to provide accurate and consistent information for the whole brain tumour community. Brain tumours are as unique as the person diagnosed Low grade, high grade, benign, malignant, brain tumour, brain cancer – talking about brain tumours is rarely straightforward. Even though they mean different things, these terms are often used interchangeably or side by side which can be confusing and contradictory. What do they actually mean? Firstly, brain tumours are incredibly complex. There are more than 100 types, each with its own patterns of growth, behaviour and response to treatment. Even tumours with the same name can behave differently from one person to another. Malignant versus non-malignant Malignant and non-malignant are not terms that we tend to use. But they are used throughout medicine to describe how a tumour behaves, including its potential to grow, invade surrounding tissues, and spread to other parts of the body. These terms provide doctors with information about how serious it may be and what kind of care is likely to be needed. Broadly speaking, malignant means cancer and non-malignant means not cancer. However, for brain tumour patients, even a non-malignant brain tumour can be life-changing, or sometimes life-limiting. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="900" height="600" src="https://assets.thebraintumourcharity.org/live/uploads/2026/05/Breaking-down-brain-tumour-terminology-blog-cover-1-1.png" alt="Graphic of…

Busting seven common clinical trial myths
type: item
creator: Glenn Saitch
date: 2026-05-20T07:10:31Z
subject: Research
subject: ACT-BT
subject: clinical trials
subject: research
description: We're breaking down common clinical trial myths to celebrate International Clinical Trials Day (20 May). The post Busting seven common clinical trial myths appeared first on The Brain Tumour Charity.
encoded: What is International Clinical Trials Day? To celebrate International Clinical Trials Day 2026, we’re busting some of the most common myths about clinical trials. But what is International Clinical Trials Day? International Clinical Trials Day is a yearly celebration of the progress made thanks to clinical trials and the people who run them. It’s also a day to recognise everybody who’s taken part in a clinical trial. Without the invaluable contributions of clinical trial participants in the past, present and future, it simply wouldn’t be possible to find kinder, better cures for brain tumours. Clinical trial myth one I’ll receive dangerous, untested medicines Some early phase clinical trials do involve testing a drug in humans for the first time. But these studies test very low doses and slowly increase the dose to find the safe levels of the drug. These early phase trials only involve a small number of people and the drugs will have already been extensively studied in the laboratory. In later phase clinical trials, the safe dose for humans has already been discovered and many brain tumour clinical trials focus on repurposing existing drugs that are already safely used for other conditions. As with any treatment, those tested in clinical trials carry an element of risk and can cause side-effects. Clinical trial myth two I’ll receive a placebo and won’t benefit from treatment There are some clinical trials that use placebos. However, many brain tumour clinical trials test how effective a new treatment is in comparrison to the existing standard of care. So, even if you aren’t receiving the new treatment, you’re still receiving the treatment and care you need. Often, the clinical trial’s protocols will involve extra check ups and scans. Many people who take part in clinical trials find this reassuring. And in many clinical trials, if one group of patients is responding positively to the new treatment, researchers may switch other participants to that treatment. Similar…