Brain tumours

A brain tumour is a growth of abnormal cells in the brain. There are over 100 types of brain tumour.

Primary brain tumours, that begin in brain tissues, are rare. The NHS says more than 12,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour each year. Cancer Research UK estimates that around 5,500 people died from a brain tumour in the UK between 2021 and 2023.

Brain tumour survival rates

Survival rates for patients with cancerous brain tumours are lower than survival rates for most other types of cancer. Only around a quarter of adults with a primary brain cancer survive for five years after they are diagnosed. Only gallbladder and pancreatic cancer have lower five-year survival rates.

Although brain cancer survival rates in the UK have increased in the past decade, survival rates in the UK are lower than in many other countries. The major research study CONCORD, published in The Lancet medical journal in 2018, found that UK brain cancer survival rates lagged behind those in most other EU countries, Australia, Canada, Japan and the USA.

Diagnosis and treatment

Brain tumours can cause a range of symptoms, including headaches, seizures and behavioural changes. The symptoms can be difficult to distinguish from the symptoms of other conditions, which can make early diagnosis more challenging. In 2020, 45% of brain tumours diagnosed in England were found in an emergency setting, including over 30% in A&E. This was twice the rate of emergency diagnosis of other cancers, at 22.5%, and the highest rate for any type of cancer.

Treatments for brain tumours include steroid medicines, surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Brain tumour charities have drawn attention to the need for new treatments for brain tumours to improve survival rates and reduce side effects.

Access to tests, treatments and research

Multiple reports have highlighted that NHS services are not equally available to brain tumour patients in different parts of the country. For example, the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission has reported geographical variation in access to new tests and treatments, clinical trials and specialist nursing care for adults and children.

There is particular concern about access to whole genome sequencing, which can be used to improve diagnosis and help identify personalised treatment options. The Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission estimates that just over two thirds of treatment centres in England currently offer whole genome sequencing and that access in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is very limited.

The charity Brain Tumour Research has drawn attention to a lack of “basic infrastructure” to support brain tissue freezing, a technique that allows samples of brain tissue to be used for sequencing, research and potentially for future treatments.

Brain tumour research funding

In 2018, the government announced new funding for brain tumour research, following the publication of the report of the task and finish working group on brain tumour research. The working group was convened in response to a 2016 Petitions Committee report and debate on a petition about funding for research into brain tumours. In May 2018, the government announced that it would double its funding commitment to £40 million, in honour of Dame Tessa Jowell, who died on 12 May 2018 after being diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumour a year earlier.

MPs and charities have raised concerns that most of this funding has not yet been spent. In March 2026, the government reported that it had spent £10.4 million on research on brain tumours between 2020/21 and 2024/25 via its research funding body, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The government has previously explained that there is no restriction on this funding, but that it is only able to fund “high-quality applications” from research teams.

In December 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Research announced £13.7 million of funding to establish the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. This new research initiative involves 48 hospitals, universities, cancer centres and charities across the UK and aims to address the lack of new and effective treatments for brain tumours.

Charities also play a major role in funding brain tumour research. The Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission has reported that around 75% of brain cancer research funding in the UK from 2016 to 2021 came from charitable funders, primarily Cancer Research UK, with additional funding from Brain Tumour Research and The Brain Tumour Charity.

Government action

The National Cancer Plan for England was published on 4 February 2026. It includes commitments to improve the early diagnosis of brain cancer and introduce new targeted treatments, and to reduce the number of rare cancers diagnosed in emergency settings. The government says it aims to be in the top 25% of countries for brain cancer survival rates by 2035.

The national plan also includes a commitment to implement the provisions of the Rare Cancers Act 2026. This new legislation aims to incentivise research and investment in rare cancers, including brain cancer. In particular, the government has highlighted its commitment to make it easier for brain tumour patients to access clinical trials.

Further reading

• Commons Library, Less survivable cancers (January 2026)
• Commons Library, Rare Cancers Bill 2024-2025 (July 2025)
• Commons Library, Debate on research and treatment of brain tumours (May 2025)
• Commons Library, Brain tumour research funding (March 2023)
• Cancer Research UK, Brain tumour resources and support organisations