Cancer52 Alliance

At The Brain Tumour Charity, we are proud to be a member of the Cancer52 Alliance – a coalition of over 100 organisations working together to improve outcomes for people affected by rare and less common cancers.

What is Cancer52?

Cancer52 represents the 52% of cancer deaths in the UK caused by rare and less common cancers. Despite their scale and impact, these cancers receive significantly less attention, research funding and policy focus than more common types.

Formed in 2007 in response to the Cancer Reform Strategy, Cancer52 unites the voices of patient organisations to tackle this imbalance – promoting earlier diagnosis, better care pathways, and more equitable outcomes for all those affected.

Why we’re part of the Alliance

Brain tumours are classified as a rare cancer, yet they are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40 in the UK. Despite this, brain tumours remain severely underfunded, with delays in diagnosis and limited access to clinical trials still common.

Through our membership of Cancer52, we’re able to:

Work collaboratively to improve early diagnosis and access to clinical research.

Ensure that the needs of brain tumour patients are represented in national policy discussions.

Support campaigns calling for fairer allocation of funding and resources across all cancer types.

Cancer52 and the 10-Year Health Plan

In our submission to the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan consultation, we highlighted the urgent need for better approaches to diagnosing and treating brain tumours. Our recommendations – aligned with Cancer52’s priorities – included:

• Raising awareness of brain tumour signs and symptoms
• Developing proxy measures to track earlier diagnosis of non-staged cancers
• Creating a Best Practice Timed Pathway for faster diagnosis.

Notable collaboration and achievements

Through Cancer52, we have contributed to and benefited from several impactful initiatives:

The Other Half: A Manifesto to Transform Outcomes for People with Rare and Less Common Cancers (2024)

This joint publication – which we helped inform – called on government to prioritise rarer cancers in future health plans. It set out clear policy recommendations on diagnosis, data, research and workforce.

Improving Diagnosis: Patient and Clinician Perspectives (2025)

A collaborative research piece exploring how diagnosis could be improved in rare cancers. Our engagement with this report helped ensure the brain tumour perspective was reflected.

State of the Nation Report (2025)

This comprehensive evidence base, to which we contributed data and insights, highlighted systemic underinvestment and diagnostic inequality across the rare cancer community.

These shared initiatives amplify our voice and ensure the specific needs of people affected by brain tumours are part of wider cancer policy change.

Find out more about Cancer52

To learn more about the Cancer52 Alliance and its members, click the button below: