Greater awareness of brain tumours needed

MSPs hear call following sudden death of young Fife father

The Scottish Parliament has heard a call for greater awareness of brain tumours following the death of a young father of two.

Mark Richardson, from Dunfermline, passed away at the age of just 32 in May last year as a result of an undiagnosed tumour.

He was foundby his wife Shona having collapsed in the family home he shared with her and their two sons.

Mr Richardson had been suffering from fatigue and neck pain and endured a bleed on one of his eyes but, despite tests, nothing was found.

The lack of diagnosis highlighted the fact that brain tumour symptoms can be challenging to detect and diagnose accurately.

It prompted his family to raise tens of thousands of pounds for the Brain Tumour Charity and has now seen one of the family’s MSP representatives raise the issue at Holyrood.

Mid Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP Alexander Stewart spent some time visiting with the charity and looking into the condition before staging a debate in the chamber.

He delivered a seven-minute speech before asking fellow MSPs to sign and support a motion calling for greater awareness of brain tumours.

Mr Stewart said: “I strongly feel that something more must be done to increase the awareness of brain tumours and indeed the seriousness of the condition as a whole.

“Brain tumours are the largest killer by cancer of children and adults under the age of 40 in the United Kingdom and they also reduce life expectancy by an average of 20 years, which is the highest of any cancer we currently know of.

“Nine hundred and seventy one people in Scotland were diagnosed with a primary brain tumour in 2014, with a total of 475 people in Scotland dying from the disease in 2015.”

Despite the serious consequences of brain tumours, they remain a comparatively uncommon form of cancer and symptoms can be difficult to detect.

Mr Stewart told colleagues: “Almost a third of people who are experiencing symptoms actually visit a healthcare professional more than five times before even being diagnosed.”

The motion was signed by 50 MSPs.

Brain tumours are the largest killer by cancer of children and adults under the age of 40 in the United Kingdom ... ALEXANDER STEWART MSP