Sussex dad call for immediate action to tackle brain tumours
A bereaved father who lost his son to brain cancer has welcomed a new report demanding urgent action to help those affected by the devastating illness.
Tony Franklin’s son, Dan, was diagnosed with an inoperable glioblastoma in October, 2020, after suffering balance problems and sickness. He underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy but died 13 months later. He was just 26.
Worthing resident Tony, who is head chef at Wilton Park conference centre, near Steyning, said: “Until this horror becomes your family’s reality, you have no idea what brain tumours really are, nor that they are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under the age of 40 and only one per cent of the national cancer spend is allocated to this truly devastating disease.”
An inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours (APPGBT) revealed that there had been a ‘concerning lack of deployment’ of £40million of investment, which had been promised since 2018.
It has been alleged that just £15million has reached the hands of researchers in the five years since it was promised, which Tony described as ‘shameful’.
He added: “It makes me angry, disappointed and sad that my boy could have been given more help, treatment and, ultimately, time. Where have these missing millions gone? Dan, like all other brain tumour sufferers and their families, did not have the luxury of time.
“We didn’t have long enough with our son and this just adds more salt to a still raw and open wound. It is unthinkable that in this day and age, so few treatment options are available.”
The Department of Health and Social Care issued a statement in response. A spokesperson said: “Brain cancer can be a devastating disease – which is why we’ve specifically allocated £40million for research in this area, on top of £1billion for wider health research a year.
“We’ve invested in every suitable application made and the funding will continue to be available for further studies to develop new treatments and therapies for brain tumours.
“To encourage further successful applications, we are investing in infrastructure, workshops for researchers and training for clinicians.”