The Problem

Approximately 7,000 patients in the UK develop primary brain cancer, but there are many more who develop secondary cancer within the brain from different primary sites around the body (such as breast and lung).

The brain tumour unit at North Bristol Trust treated over 400 cases of primary brain and spinal cord tumours in 2010. Brain cancer affects both adults and children, and in children it is the second highest cause of death after accidents. One of the major problems with primary brain cancer is that it invades the brain widely as single cells and therefore can be difficult to completely remove by surgery. It also can develop resistance to traditional chemotherapy and therefore tumour relapse is common. Future developments of brain cancer will involve fully understanding each individual’s tumour according to what is driving the abnormal growth of that specific tumour. Then surgery and a range of therapies can be tailored to the individual, providing a personalised medicine approach.

The Aim

The aim of the brain tumour bank is to provide researchers with access to rare tumour tissue from the brain and spinal cord (which is surplus to diagnostic needs). This will come with full consent from patients to allow researchers to correlate their findings with clinical and genetic information.

Our research group aim is to identify what drives each individual tumour so that we can develop personalised treatments for patients.

Target:

If we could get 2000 people to give £10 each to BRASH, we would reach our target of £20,000. This would support much needed brain tumour research, here in Bristol.

The brain tumour bank and research group relies on charitable funds and academic grants to support the costs of  researchers, technician, storage, consumables, tissue preparation and tissue transport.

Donations, with a request that the support is offered to the brain tumour bank and research group, are welcome either directly through the Just Giving website or through North Bristol Trust Charitable Funds.

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