Defeating Brain Tumours 2015-2020: Have We Made A Difference?

Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40.1 Over 88,000 children and adults are estimated to be living with a brain tumour in the UK currently and most are coping with a reduced quality of life.2 Over 5,000 of whom lose this battle each year.3

That’s why in 2015, The Brain Tumour Charity outlined a five-year strategy ‘Defeating Brain Tumours’. This strategy set the unapologetically ambitious goals of doubling survival and halving the harm caused by brain tumours in the UK.

Six initiatives were put in place to help achieve these goals:


Katie photographed with Tom Daley

The Charity offers something precious to everyone affected by a brain tumour: hope.

Tasha (left), who was at the heart of our strategy, photographed with Tom Daley (right), UK Olympic Diver


This report summarises our progress, highlighting our proudest achievements as well as the difficult challenges we have faced since 2015 in striving towards these goals

We will learn from our challenges and build on these foundations, driving forward transformational projects to secure more impact, going further and faster towards our vision of a world where brain tumours are defeated.

1Cancer Research UK, https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/brain-other-cns-and-intracranial-tumours/survival, (Data: England and Wales, 2010–2011, ICD-10 C71 – malignant tumours). Accessed June 2018. 2Estimated for malignant and non-malignant brain and CNS tumours using the latest data on UK cancer registries for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2020. Enquiries on the estimate to be directed to The Brain Tumour Charity. 3Cancer Research UK, https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/brain-other-cns-and-intracranial-tumours#heading-Zero, (Data: 2015–2017, UK). Accessed October 2020.