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Information for journalists

Our media team is made up of former journalists who understand the need to provide reporters with accurate information about The Charity’s activities speedily.

This includes the research we’ve funded, expert comment on research breakthroughs globally, current healthcare issues, our support services, insights from those living with the impact of a brain tumour diagnosis and our supporters’ incredible fundraising feats.

Contact the media team

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Please phone phone 07990 828385 or email [email protected]

For broadcasters, our spokespeople include our Senior Leadership Team, who are listed in our About Us, as well as our Involvement Network and advocates.

Three people sitting at a table while The Brain Tumour Charity Involvement Network talks with SLT
A group of people holding photos of lost loved ones during The Brain Tumour Charity campaign launch outside Parliament

Read our latest news from within The Charity and across the brain tumour community.

Download facts and figures on the prevalence of brain tumours and their impact, along with data sources.

A graph featuring statistics on the low survival rate of brain tumours
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Click on the following shortened link to include a url to our website in your online copy, describing a glioblastoma brain tumour and its symptoms. If you’d like to share a short link in print, please use our shortened glioblastoma link.

About Us

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 this disease on all fronts: by funding the most promising research globally, offering comprehensive support services to anyone affected by a diagnosis, and working with healthcare professionals and policy makers to effect change.

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 find therapies that will enable them to live longer, better lives. Find out more about our research funding.

Support

The Charity offers comprehensive support and information services including a telephone 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 to raise awareness of the symptoms and effects of brain tumours. Our HeadSmart campaign, in collaboration with the University of Nottingham, helped reduce average diagnosis times in children from more than 13 weeks to 6.5 weeks between 2018 and 2020. ‘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.

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 about brain tumours in the UK.

  • Global data shows that high grade (fast-growing) brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of those under 40 in the UK.
  • 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. Just 12% of adults survive for five years after a diagnosis.
  • 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.
  • 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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