The Government has today published its landmark National Cancer Plan, which sets out sweeping reforms to how cancer is diagnosed and treated.
The plan represents a landmark shift in the UK’s approach to oncology. It aims for 75% of patients diagnosed from 2035 to be cancer-free or living well after five years. This represents an ambition of the fastest rate of improvement in cancer outcomes this century and will translate to 320,000 more lives saved over the lifetime of the plan. To achieve this target, increasing brain cancer survival rates will be crucial – 12.9% of adults diagnosed with brain cancer in England survive five years or more, compared to an average across all cancers of 56%.
Our CEO Dan Knowles said: “Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer and greater investment in research and wider access to clinical trials is the only way to change this. We welcome this National Cancer Plan, and we are hopeful that the commitments made for a national lead for rare cancers, further investment in innovation and a simpler pathway to accessing clinical trials will give brain tumour patients options in the future and ultimately improve survival rates. We look forward to working with Government to ensure that the implementation of the plan genuinely makes a difference for the brain tumour community.”
There is lots to digest in the National Cancer Plan and we know our community is keen to understand how this could impact them. Here are seven things we’ve learnt that will make a difference to brain tumour patients in England.
Focus and commitment to prioritising rare cancers, including brain tumours
We are encouraged to see a significant portion of the plan dedicated to rare cancers, with a number of actions specifically relating to brain tumours.
In England, you are four times less likely to survive five years following a brain tumour diagnosis compared to the average for all cancers. Government heard our calls for change and have heard your voice that rare cancers, such as brain tumours, have not received equal weighting in government policy. The National Cancer Plan aims to give rare cancers even footing with more commonly diagnosed cancers and sets a specific ambition for the UK to become a European leader in survival outcomes for 14 less common and deadliest cancers by 2035.
Every brain cancer patient will be offered DNA testing of their tumour
We have been campaigning with partners for many years for whole genome sequencing for every brain tumour patient in England which was promised in 2018 but has not been delivered, and as such, are pleased to see a renewed commitment to this.
Whole genome sequencing is important for opening options for personalised treatments. To make this happen, the National Cancer Plan addresses the need for tissue samples to be fresh frozen for scientists and clinicians to access important genetic information. We are committed to making sure that this is not an empty promise and that the infrastructure is in place to make sure this testing happens.
There will be a focus on delivering world-class research
The Plan incorporates many of the elements that we have been campaigning for through the Rare Cancers Bill. This includes new legislation that provides the legal framework to incentivise private investment specifically for brain cancer treatments, which were previously seen as too “niche” or “risky” for commercial development.
There will also be a National Lead and Specialist Lead for Rare Cancers to drive research, strategy, clinical trial referrals, and national standardisation of care.
We know that the only way to find a cure for all brain tumours is through research, so we are pleased to see a commitment to ensuring breakthroughs in the laboratories make it to patients in clinics and a commitment to make rare cancers a research priority: one of our focused policy ambitions which we have long campaigned for, particularly in calling for brain tumour research to be formally recognised as a priority and not a rare disease footnote.
It will be easier to access clinical trials
Brain cancer clinical trials have the lowest recruitment levels compared to all cancer clinical trials. We are campaigning to increase the number of brain tumour patients enrolled on trials.
In a global first, the NHS App will be integrated with the “Be Part of Research” database. Patients can search for, request contact about and eventually receive automatic notifications for clinical trials that match their specific cancer type.
The Cancer Clinical Trials Accelerator initiative, delivered through the NIHR Industry Hub, aims to slash “red tape” and speed up trial approvals and delivery. The goal is to move life-saving treatments from the lab to the bedside significantly faster than current timelines allow.
The plan also specifies a commitment to break down barriers to clinical trials for children and young people with cancer, including ensuring access to clinical trials by requiring clinical justifications for age limits.
Decisions on new treatments will be sped up
By April 2026, a joint process between the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will boost the speed of decisions on licensing and appraisal of medicines, so that recommendations for the NHS to fund new drugs can be made faster. This is good news for brain tumour patients, who do not have time to wait for important decisions on life-changing medicines.
Standardisation of care for brain tumour patients across England
A new national figurehead will oversee the standardisation of brain cancer care, ensuring that even if a patient is diagnosed in a rural area, their case is reviewed by a specialist multi-disciplinary team (MDT) at a major cancer hub.
More patients with rarer cancers will have their care reviewed and treated at specialist cancer centres, where they can benefit from the expertise of the best cancer doctors. These centres bring together surgeons, oncologists, specialist nurses and radiologists to agree the best treatment plan for each case.
Improving diagnosis
The plan aims to reduce the number of cancer patients diagnosed in emergency settings – like the nearly 40% of brain tumour patients in England.
Conclusion
We are hopeful that this plan will have a genuine impact on patients’ lives. We will continue to work with Government to ensure it is implemented effectively. Our Campaigning Team will continue to lobby and hold Government to account in its delivery and implementation of the NHS Cancer Plan.
And, mindful that the National Cancel Plan applies to England, we will continue to work across the UK to ensure that inequalities in cancer treatment and care do not persist for brain tumour patients no matter where they live.
Related reading:
