The Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, has stated a commitment to “make 2026 the year that we shift the dial for patients with brain cancer” during a Westminster Hall Debate on tissue storage.
Personalised treatments and many new therapies in development rely on gathering detailed genetic information about the tumour, either straight after surgery or in the weeks and months that follow. The way tissue is stored post-surgery has a critical impact on the ability to do this because there is a real risk that powerful information is lost, closing down pathways to clinical trials and innovative treatments.
Brain Tumour Research is calling on Government to ensure that fresh-frozen tissue storage is available in all possible instances and worked closely with the Shadow Ministerial Health Team to help shape their response to this morning’s debate, providing briefings on policy and key issues.
As a result, Shadow Health Minister, Caroline Johnson MP, raised key issues for our community. She emphasised that ensuring results are reported to brain tumour patients in a clinically relevant timeframe is critical due to the rapid progression of the disease, and highlighted delays in this part of the pathway. Ms Johnson asked the minister to consider our recommendation guaranteeing brain tumour patients 100% access to whole genome sequencing and timely reporting of results. She also asked what the minister is doing to improve the collection of tissue – a key challenge highlighted in our briefing.
The debate, which was attended by members of our campaigning team, saw MPs from across the spectrum highlighting key issues with tissue storage for brain tumour patients. Contributors highlighted the need to a standard process for freezing fresh tissue – including the Liberal Democrats who urged the Government to address the issues faced by brain tumour patients in the National Cancer Plan. This call was echoed by Chris Evans MP – whose constituent Ellie James has been campaigning for all hospitals to freeze brain tumour tissue removed during surgery since losing her husband Owain to the disease – who also raised the inequity of accessing fresh frozen tissue and urged the minister to address this, asking her to engage with the devolved nations.
Head of Stakeholder Relations Hugh Adams being interviewed by the BBC, and Policy and Public Affairs Officer Jana Abdal-Rahman outside Westminster
We are encouraged by Minister Dalton’s concluding statements, during which she committed to “further exploring the current arrangements for freezing tissues and the options for change, particularly for brain tumour tissues” and recognised the need to “ensure that all patients with brain cancer have access to cutting edge clinical trials, innovation and lifesaving treatments”.
Dr Karen Noble, Director of Research, Policy and Innovation at Brain Tumour Research, said: "We are calling on Government to ensure that fresh-frozen tissue storage is available in all possible instances around the UK. The technology is there – let's use it to make a difference."
The debate can be watched online here.
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