Tom Parker: NHS brain cancer treatment needs 'massive improvement'

The Wanted singer Tom Parker has said he's shocked by NHS treatment and funding for people with brain cancer.

Tom, 33, has been raising awareness for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) since his diagnosis a year ago. He's been getting private treatment on top of NHS care.

In a new podcast, he said a "massive improvement" is needed in NHS treatment for brain tumours, and that a lack of research funding is part of the issue.

He added the NHS had been "great" but he wants more to be done.

The government and NHS haven't yet responded to his comments.

GBM is the most common type of brain tumour and is also one of the most aggressive.

There's no cure, it often resists treatment, and the average survival time from diagnosis is 12 to 18 months.

NHS treatment for people with brain cancer can include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, steroids and drugs to help reduce symptoms.

But Tom, who is also receiving private healthcare, says "there's got to be a better answer out there than just that".

He made his comments on the podcast Chat2Amani, hosted by 23-year-old Amani Liaquat who also has GBM.

NHS treatments didn't work on Amani's tumour but she's seen some small signs of the tumour shrinking since her family raised £100,000 to buy a year's supply of a trial drug from Germany.

"It drives me insane, the world just revolves around money," Tom said.

"There's drugs out there that can save people's lives - it's so frustrating."

A chemotherapy drug called Temozolomide is the standard treatment offered by the NHS to GBM patients - which hasn't changed for almost 20 years, according to the charity Brain Tumour Research.

Tom said it's "shocking" that this hasn't been changed in such a long time.

"I don't want to beat around the bush about the NHS," Tom said.

"I think they've been great but I think there's a massive improvement needed in treatment for brain tumours."

Amani said: "I'm really aware that [the NHS] is something to be grateful for, but I don't think the way they approach it is that great."

When she was told her tumour had grown despite radiotherapy, she said: "They never really sat and explained it, they just said: 'Sorry to tell you it's progressed.' So then we were like: 'OK, now what do we do?'"

The amount of money spent in the UK on brain cancer research has increased from £4m in 2009-10 to £15m in 2019-20.

But Brain Tumour Research says that only accounts for 2% of all cancer research spending in the UK and needs to increase to £35m to address the "chronic lack of funding" for brain cancer research.

It adds that brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.

Tom said helping to increase funding for treatment and research is "the one thing" he wants to achieve by speaking out about his own experience of cancer.

He's been praised for opening up about his experiences of cancer on social media and, most recently, in Channel 4 documentary Inside My Head.

He also performed with the rest of the Wanted at a gig in London's Royal Albert Hall last month to raise money for cancer charities.

It was the first time the boy band had performed together for seven years.

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