Brain Tumour Awareness Week

Hoping to promote and highlight this year’s International Brain Tumour Awareness Week (26 Oct to 1 Nov 2008), Rosemary Wormington, founder of the WBTSG and Worcestershire walk event organiser, said the weather couldn’t have been any better: “It was fantastic, with everyone having a great time including the dog and 4 month old Molly.

“Members came from all over the region including Aldridge and Coventry, with most of us managing to walk about 6 km each. We walked through woods, fields and local housing estates around Nunnery Wood, kindly led by volunteer and event organiser, Pat Mayo and her husband Brian, both local ramblers who know the area well. Our walk total of 130 kilometres will now be added into IBTA’s world tally.”

Organised by the International Brain Tumour Alliance (IBTA) established in 2005, International Brain Tumour Awareness Week hopes to promote key issues such as lack of funding and the fact that brain cancer kills more people under the age of 40 than any other cancer and that it is the single biggest killer of children after accidents.

Said Rosemary: “Cancer Research UK does a great job, but they put less than 2% of their funds into research with most research actually funded by other charities. Brain cancer is the single biggest killer of children after accidents, and with the support of individuals and their families at best patchy, it’s totally insufficient to meet current need.”

Rosemary added that if by completing the walk the WBTSG had raised the profile of the IBTA and of the WaWBT, which it would be: “One more positive step forward in the battle to gain recognition of the importance of research into the causes and treatment of brain cancer.”

The World Walk target is to circle the earth three times at the Equator (75,000 miles or 120,000 kilometres) with all funds raised by this international campaign donated to either local or national brain tumour support groups or used for brain tumour research activities.

For more information about the work of the WBTSG or brain tumour issues in general, please contact Rosemary Wormington on 0780 4820351 or visit their website: www.wbtsg.org or email: info@wbtsg.org

Additional Information: 

The WBTSG was set up following the death of Rosemary and John’s ten year old daughter Frances who sadly lost her battle against a malignant brain tumour at the end of 2007. A Worcestershire charity, the WBTSG provides support and information to brain tumour sufferers and for their families.

Organisers of the WaWBT, the IBTA, established in 2005, is an alliance of the support, advocacy and information groups for brain tumour patients and carers in different countries around the globe which includes researchers, scientists, clinicians and allied health professionals who work in the area of brain tumours. www.theibta.org

Brain Tumour Statistics:

• More children now die from a brain tumour than any other childhood cancer.

• Sadly 3,400 people lose their lives to a brain tumour each year.

• Whilst on average 75% of all childhood cancer patients in Britain survive five years, only 65% of children diagnosed with a high grade brain tumour live for longer than this.

• In adults, with a malignant brain tumour, the statistic is even more tragic with only 14% living longer than 5 years.

• 40% of all cancer deaths in children are from a brain tumour.

• The number of people dying from a brain tumour has increased over the last decade - incidence increases by approximately 2% per year.

• 6,500 people are diagnosed each year with a primary brain tumour.

• On average it takes longer to diagnose a child with a brain tumour in the UK than in North America and a number of European countries. The principal cause of delay in diagnosis is the failure by front-line health professionals to include brain tumours in the differential diagnosis.

• The average years of life lost (AYLL) to brain tumours is the highest of any cancer at over 20 years.

*(Source The Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust - www.braintumourtrust.co.uk)