Our research on brain tumours

What we’re doing now

There are more than 130 different types of brain tumours, and in most cases it’s not clear what causes them. From groundbreaking lab research to lifesaving clinical trials, our researchers are working hard to save more lives.

For example, Professor Richard Grundy in Nottingham is setting up an important clinical trial to find the best way of treating children with ependymoma, to improve the outcome for these young patients.

Dr Colin Watts at the University of Cambridge is pioneering a new technique that makes tumour cells ‘glow’ during surgery. This will help doctors remove as much tumour as possible, leaving healthy brain tissue untouched.

In London, Dr Rita Sousa-Nunes is studying fruit flies to find faulty genes that may be involved in human brain tumours.

Sometimes cancer can spread to the brain from other parts of the body. In Oxford, Professor Nicola Sibson is developing cutting-edge imaging techniques to detect these tumours and find more effective ways to treat them.

How we’ve made a difference so far

Here are just a few examples of our achievements. We…

• Played a vital role in the early development and testing of temozolomide – a drug that has made a difference to many thousands of people with glioblastoma around the world.
• Funded a clinical trial showing that adding chemotherapy to radiotherapy can help improve survival from medulloblastoma, changing the way that children with this type of brain tumour are treated
• Showed that using chemotherapy instead of radiotherapy cuts long-term side effects in children with ependymoma, through a clinical trial we funded together with the Brain Tumour Charity.
• Revealed some of the faulty genes linked to certain types of brain tumours, including meningioma, ependymoma, pilocytic astrocytoma and glioma,  paving the way for future treatments.