Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to adopt the guidelines issued by the British Neuro-Oncology Society in August 2023, Guideline for Tissue Sampling of Brain Tumours, to address the variability in access to genetic testing of brain tumours.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has produced national sample handling guidance for the whole genome sequencing (WGS) of solid tumours, including brain tumours, to standardise collection, processing, and transport. This guidance supports collaboration between neurosurgeons, pathologists, and Genomic Laboratory Hubs to maintain DNA quality and improve access to WGS. Approaches to the handling of fresh tissue have been reviewed, including the use of tissue stabilisers, to reduce some of the barriers of having to acquire, freeze, and transport the frozen tissue, which in turn will speed up processes. These measures aim to address variability and ensure equitable regional access to WGS for brain tumour patients.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action has been taken by the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad to ensure that work on personalised vaccines in cancer treatment will benefit patients with brain cancer.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) is a platform that aims to accelerate the development of cancer vaccines and speed up cancer patient access to mRNA personalised cancer vaccine clinical trials. The CVLP has played a key role in accelerating trial activity in cancer research, with CVLP sites driving faster site activation and enrolment timelines. The platform is company- and clinical trial- agnostic. The CVLP would encourage any company that wishes to deliver trials via the platform, including those developing personalised cancer vaccines for brain tumours, to get in contact to explore how the platform can support their research.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of clinical trials available for brain cancer vaccines.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to turbocharging clinical research and delivering better patient care, to make the Untied Kingdom a world-leading destination for clinical research, including clinical trials for brain cancer vaccines.
The NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) is a platform set up to accelerate the development of cancer vaccines and speed up access to mRNA personalised cancer vaccine clinical trials for cancer patients. Any company that wishes to deliver trials via the platform, including those developing vaccines for brain tumours, can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.
In addition, the Department funds research and research infrastructure across England, such as the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, including on brain cancer.
The Government also supports the Rare Cancers Private Members Bill. The bill will make it easier for clinical trials on brain cancer to take place in England, by ensuring the patient population can be more easily contacted by researchers.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients in England are receiving treatment with the Optune Tumour Treating Fields device; and at which NHS Trusts such treatment is available.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) considered the use of tumour treating fields (TTF) in its guideline on brain tumours, reference code NG99, published in 2018 and recommended that the treatment should not be offered by the National Health Service for the management of newly diagnosed glioblastoma or recurrent high-grade glioma, based on an assessment of the evidence available at the time.
Decisions on whether guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence are taken by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by NICE’s Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework. NICE’s prioritisation board considered TTF for glioblastoma in July 2024, where they agreed the topic should not be prioritised but reconsidered when relevant key trials have completed.
At the meeting on 15 September 2025, the topic was reconsidered. The prioritisation board noted that some trials are ongoing, including a key trial that is likely to be published in 2026, and consequently agreed that the topic should still not be prioritised at this time, but revisited once those trials have been published.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to request that NICE begin an appraisal of the Optune Tumour Treating Fields device for the treatment of glioblastoma.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has no plans to request that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) appraise tumour treating fields (TTF), or to intervene in NICE’s established guidance prioritisation process.
NICE considered the use of TTF in its guideline on brain tumours, reference NG99, published in 2018, and recommended that the treatment should not be offered for the management of newly diagnosed glioblastoma or recurrent high-grade glioma, based on an assessment of the evidence available at the time.
Decisions on whether guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence are taken by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by NICE’s Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework. NICE’s prioritisation board considered TTF for glioblastoma in July 2024 where they agreed that the topic should not be prioritised but reconsidered when relevant key trials have completed.
At the meeting on 15 September 2025, the topic was reconsidered. The prioritisation board noted that some trials are ongoing, including a key trial that is likely to be published in 2026, and consequently agreed that the topic should still not be prioritised at this time, but revisited once those trials have been published.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of funding for (a) research into and (b) the treatment of low-grade glioma; and whether he plans to increase that funding.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests over £1.6 billion per year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The NIHR is continuing to invest in brain tumour research. Working with stakeholders from across the research community, in September 2024 the NIHR launched a package of support to stimulate high-quality research applications through: establishing a national Brain Tumour Research Consortium to bring together researchers from different disciplines to drive scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage, and treat brain tumours; a dedicated funding call for research into wraparound care and rehabilitation for people living with brain tumours; and a partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to fund the next generation of researchers through the Allied Health Professionals Brain Tumour Research Fellowship programme.
The NIHR continues to welcome high quality funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including low-grade glioma.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how survival rates for brain cancer in the United Kingdom compare with those of other countries of equivalent wealth.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Reducing the number of lives lost to cancer is a key aim of the National Cancer Plan for England, which will be published later this year. The plan will include further details on how the Government will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including brain cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.
The Department is committed to working closely with partners and patient groups to shape the long-term vision for cancer. On 4 February 2025, the Department launched a call for evidence for the National Cancer Plan which closed on 29 April. We have received over 11,000 responses from individuals, professionals, and organisations who have shared their views on how we can do more to achieve our ambition, including several brain cancer charities. The call for evidence gave an opportunity to all partners to shape the National Cancer Plan. These submissions are being used to inform our plan to improve cancer care.
The Department recognises that cancer patients, including those with brain tumours, are often waiting too long for referral and treatment. As the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and treatment, NHS England has delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week since the start of this administration.
The Department is supporting NHS England in implementing genomic testing, including whole genome sequencing (WGS), in the National Health Service, provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service, and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes tests for over 200 cancer clinical indications, including WGS tests for a range of brain tumours. The NHS now offers all children and young people with cancer, and adults with certain cancers including brain cancer, whole genome sequencing to enable more comprehensive and precise diagnosis, and access to more personalised treatments.
The Department recognises that there are currently limited treatment options available for people who have been diagnosed with brain tumours, and the significant impact that rarer forms of cancer can have on patients, carers, and their families. A new national Brain Tumour Research Consortium was established in December 2024 to bring together researchers from a range of different disciplines and institutions with the aim of driving scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage, and treat cancers in adults and children. The work being undertaken by the consortium aims to ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology and to clinical trials. This will make a significant contribution to bringing the United Kingdom’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world. The following table shows brain cancer five-year survival percentages for adults, those aged 15 to 99 years old, diagnosed from 2010 to 2014, by G7 country:
Country | Cancer site | Five-year net survival |
Japan | Brain (adults) | 46.3% |
USA | Brain (adults) | 36.5% |
Canada | Brain (adults) | 29.9% |
Germany | Brain (adults) | 29.6% |
Italy | Brain (adults) | 28.8% |
France | Brain (adults) | 27.2% |
UK | Brain (adults) | 26.3% |
Source: CONCORD-3, CONCORD Programme, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
This data will be updated with the publication of CONCORD-4, which is currently in progress.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to meet Brain Cancer Justice.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Reducing the number of lives lost to cancer is a key aim of the National Cancer Plan for England, which will be published later this year. The plan will include further details on how the Government will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including brain cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.
The Department is committed to working closely with partners and patient groups to shape the long-term vision for cancer. On 4 February 2025, the Department launched a call for evidence for the National Cancer Plan which closed on 29 April. We have received over 11,000 responses from individuals, professionals, and organisations who have shared their views on how we can do more to achieve our ambition, including several brain cancer charities. The call for evidence gave an opportunity to all partners to shape the National Cancer Plan. These submissions are being used to inform our plan to improve cancer care.
The Department recognises that cancer patients, including those with brain tumours, are often waiting too long for referral and treatment. As the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and treatment, NHS England has delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week since the start of this administration.
The Department is supporting NHS England in implementing genomic testing, including whole genome sequencing (WGS), in the National Health Service, provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service, and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes tests for over 200 cancer clinical indications, including WGS tests for a range of brain tumours. The NHS now offers all children and young people with cancer, and adults with certain cancers including brain cancer, whole genome sequencing to enable more comprehensive and precise diagnosis, and access to more personalised treatments.
The Department recognises that there are currently limited treatment options available for people who have been diagnosed with brain tumours, and the significant impact that rarer forms of cancer can have on patients, carers, and their families. A new national Brain Tumour Research Consortium was established in December 2024 to bring together researchers from a range of different disciplines and institutions with the aim of driving scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage, and treat cancers in adults and children. The work being undertaken by the consortium aims to ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology and to clinical trials. This will make a significant contribution to bringing the United Kingdom’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world. The following table shows brain cancer five-year survival percentages for adults, those aged 15 to 99 years old, diagnosed from 2010 to 2014, by G7 country:
Country | Cancer site | Five-year net survival |
Japan | Brain (adults) | 46.3% |
USA | Brain (adults) | 36.5% |
Canada | Brain (adults) | 29.9% |
Germany | Brain (adults) | 29.6% |
Italy | Brain (adults) | 28.8% |
France | Brain (adults) | 27.2% |
UK | Brain (adults) | 26.3% |
Source: CONCORD-3, CONCORD Programme, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
This data will be updated with the publication of CONCORD-4, which is currently in progress.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve survival rates from brain cancers.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Reducing the number of lives lost to cancer is a key aim of the National Cancer Plan for England, which will be published later this year. The plan will include further details on how the Government will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including brain cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.
The Department is committed to working closely with partners and patient groups to shape the long-term vision for cancer. On 4 February 2025, the Department launched a call for evidence for the National Cancer Plan which closed on 29 April. We have received over 11,000 responses from individuals, professionals, and organisations who have shared their views on how we can do more to achieve our ambition, including several brain cancer charities. The call for evidence gave an opportunity to all partners to shape the National Cancer Plan. These submissions are being used to inform our plan to improve cancer care.
The Department recognises that cancer patients, including those with brain tumours, are often waiting too long for referral and treatment. As the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and treatment, NHS England has delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week since the start of this administration.
The Department is supporting NHS England in implementing genomic testing, including whole genome sequencing (WGS), in the National Health Service, provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service, and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes tests for over 200 cancer clinical indications, including WGS tests for a range of brain tumours. The NHS now offers all children and young people with cancer, and adults with certain cancers including brain cancer, whole genome sequencing to enable more comprehensive and precise diagnosis, and access to more personalised treatments.
The Department recognises that there are currently limited treatment options available for people who have been diagnosed with brain tumours, and the significant impact that rarer forms of cancer can have on patients, carers, and their families. A new national Brain Tumour Research Consortium was established in December 2024 to bring together researchers from a range of different disciplines and institutions with the aim of driving scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage, and treat cancers in adults and children. The work being undertaken by the consortium aims to ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology and to clinical trials. This will make a significant contribution to bringing the United Kingdom’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world. The following table shows brain cancer five-year survival percentages for adults, those aged 15 to 99 years old, diagnosed from 2010 to 2014, by G7 country:
Country | Cancer site | Five-year net survival |
Japan | Brain (adults) | 46.3% |
USA | Brain (adults) | 36.5% |
Canada | Brain (adults) | 29.9% |
Germany | Brain (adults) | 29.6% |
Italy | Brain (adults) | 28.8% |
France | Brain (adults) | 27.2% |
UK | Brain (adults) | 26.3% |
Source: CONCORD-3, CONCORD Programme, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
This data will be updated with the publication of CONCORD-4, which is currently in progress.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to increase research funding into new (a) tools and (b) other technologies for the earlier diagnosis of (i) pancreatic, (ii) lung, (iii) liver, (iv) stomach, (v) brain, (vi) oesophageal cancers and (vii) other the less survivable cancers.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
An example of this is the NIHR investing £2.4 million into the miONCO-Dx trial, which seeks to develop a blood test designed to detect 12 different cancers, that could transform how cancer is diagnosed in the National Health Service.
The NIHR is also funding a new artificial intelligence (AI) powered radiology analysis service, designed to develop and evaluate the use of AI in medical imaging to improve the detection of cancers, including for lung and brain tumours. The use of this technology will help to speed up response times and provide more accurate diagnoses and better-targeted treatments, ultimately improving outcomes for patients.
The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including all cancers. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.