Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of health inequalities on the survival time of patients with glioblastoma.

National survival data for malignant brain cancers is collected and monitored. The latest available data for England shows one-year net survival for malignant brain cancer was 44%, and five-year net survival was 16.4%.

The Department recognises that outcomes for people with brain tumours, including glioblastoma, remain poor, and that people living in more deprived areas are more likely to be diagnosed later and experience poorer cancer outcomes. Tackling health inequalities across the cancer pathway, including inequalities linked to deprivation, ethnicity, and geography, is a core priority of the National Cancer Plan for England.

Through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is committed to improving earlier diagnosis, reducing variation in access and outcomes, and strengthening care for people with rare and less survivable cancers, including glioblastoma. Glioblastoma is recognised as a rare and aggressive cancer with limited treatment options, and we continue to support research and innovation, including in genomics, clinical trials, and precision medicine.