This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition Fund OPTUNE brain cancer treatment for NHS patients
Optune treatment uses a novel “tumour treatment” electromagnetic field to treat cancer. It has been shown to be effective in brain tumours and is widely available in the US and Germany. This treatment is currently not available from the NHS.
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This treatment can help improve patients' quality of life and given that the number of treatment options for Brain Tumours are limited, this treatment should be funded. Currently some patients self fund or have private insurance but this treatment should be available to all, not to just those that can afford it. Brain tumours are the greatest cause of cancer deaths in the under 40’s; funding this treatment will give effective treatment and hope to patients and families.
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Government responded
This response was given on 30 March 2022
Guidelines recommend tumour-treating fields, such as OPTUNE, should not be offered for NHS patients. However, the Government recognises the importance of research and new treatments for brain tumours.
Read the response in full
National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guidelines are evidence-based recommendations for health and social care professionals in England. They set out the care and services suitable for most people with a specific condition or need, and people in particular circumstances. They are developed by experts based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and extensive engagement with interested parties. They represent best practice and should be taken fully into account in the care and treatment of individual patients.
In its guidelines on brain tumours in adults, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence recommends that tumour-treating fields, such as OPTUNE, should not be offered as part of management of a newly diagnosed grade IV glioma (glioblastoma) or as part of management of recurrent high-grade glioma.
The Government is investing in treatments that have a beneficial effect on brain tumour patients. For instance, a £250 million investment into proton beam therapy facilities at The Christie Hospital in Manchester and University College London Hospital in London will treat up to 1,300 patients every year. Proton beam therapy is a type of radiotherapy which treats specific types of cancer by precisely targeting tumours close to a critical part of the body such as the brain or spinal cord, reducing the damage to surrounding healthy tissues and vital organs.
Research is crucial in tackling brain cancer, which is why the Department of Health and Social Care invests in health research through the National Institute for Health Research. National Institute for Health Research expenditure on cancer research was £73.5 million in 2020/21.
In May 2018 the Government announced funding worth £40 million over five years for brain tumour research as part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission through the National Institute for Health Research. Brain tumours is a difficult research area with a relatively small research community, so we are taking actions to grow the field, such as through workshops for researchers, and research training for clinicians.
National Institute for Health Research released a public announcement to the research community in April 2018, making clear the Government’s desire to receive brain tumour research funding applications.
The National Institute for Health Research welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including brain tumour research. As with other Government funders of health research, the National Institute for Health Research does not allocate funding for specific disease areas. The level of research spend in a particular area is driven by factors including scientific potential, and the number and scale of successful funding applications.
The Department works closely with research funding partners such as Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council, and brain tumour charities, who fund research into new scientific discoveries.
Department of Health and Social Care
Related activity
MPs investigate innovations in cancer care
A group of MPs called the Health and Social Care Committee are looking into innovations that can transform cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Read the Committee's press notice announcing this work.
The Committee is considering points including:
What innovations have the greatest potential to transform cancer diagnosis and treatment
How innovations in diagnosing and treating cancer can be deployed into frontline clinical settings
What can be learnt about innovative cancer diagnosis and treatment from international examples of best practice
How workforce planning is keeping up with innovations in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer
How the impact of innovations in cancer diagnosis and treatment on health inequalities is taken into account
What happens next?
The Committee is going to conduct oral evidence sessions where it will hear from experts in the sector as well as Government and NHS officials.
An evidence session is a hearing where MPs ask key experts, such as Ministers, academics and/or campaigners, questions on a particular topic. These experts are called "witnesses" and they help MPs to gain a deeper understanding of the topic.
The Committee will then consider all the evidence it has taken and publish a report of its findings with recommendations to the Government on any changes that might be needed.
For more information about the inquiry, visit the Committee's inquiry page.
What is the Health and Social Care Committee?
The Health and Social Care Committee is a cross-party group of MPs that conduct inquiries into issues in Health and Social Care in the UK.
The Health and Social Care Committee is a select committee.
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