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In June 2016 I was diagnosed with a rare malignant brain tumour ( anaplastic PXA) after having a partial seizure. This was followed by a 9 hour operation to remove a 3cm tumour; followed by the standard treatment of  6 months chemotherapy and 6 weeks of radiotherapy. 

I recovered extremely well from this but was devastated when within a year the tumour had returned. In December 2018 I had a further larger resection of the tumour. 

In the knowledge that I had previously failed to respond successfully to standard treatment I faced a bleak prognosis. 

It was then the laboratory at UCL & Queens Square confirmed my tumour contained a BRAF mutation ( changes in the DNA of the cancer cells that could be treated with targeted therapies). This has been a lifeline for me. 

My oncologist Dr Paul Mulholland obtained BRAF inhibitor drugs (targeted therapy) for me and I have been on this treatment for the last 2 years. MRI scans have thus far shown no further tumour regrowth.

I am fully aware that without the relatively recent development of targeted therapy my story would be very different. I am planning to celebrate reaching the milestone of 5 years from diagnosis of a malignant brain tumour by climbing Snowdon on 20th June 2021. Climbing a flight of stairs after my second surgery was initially a challenge. I am much stronger now so I plan to take on the bigger challenge and get myself up a mountain!

In doing so I hope to support The Glioblastoma Research Fund at UCLH laboratories to continue their work into finding novel treatments for brain tumour patients. Without investment in the science more brain tumour patients will die prematurely.