brainstrust

PRESS RELEASE

Paul Grundy, a consultant neurosurgeon at the Wessex Neurological Unit in Southampton, has agreed to become a patron of Brainstrust, the Meg Jones tumour charity, based in Cowes, the Isle of Wight.

Trust director, Helen Bulbeck said: “Paul wants to play an active role and has agreed to help us develop the information needed for patients and for other healthcare practitioners, which will go onto our website.

“Paul is very well read and keeps up with latest research on brain tumours. He will be an excellent campaigner for Brainstrust and his appointment will also strengthen our presence along the south coast.”

The other Brainstrust patrons are Professor Peter Black MD PhD, professor of neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School and rated as one of the top ten doctors in the USA; Andrew McEvoy FRCS, a leading brain tumour consultant surgeon at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London; and former BBC newsreader, Jan Leeming.

Notes to Editors:

brainstrust creates solutions for people with brain tumours, as well as saving lives. The charitable trust is dedicated to improving proactive care for brain tumour sufferers and providing co-ordinated support in their search for treatment. It currently supports over 100 families who are battling brain tumours.

brainstrust was founded in 2006 after the charitable trust’s icon, Meg Jones, had been diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of 19. Meg subsequently underwent successful neurosurgery for the removal of the tumour in Boston, USA, during the summer of 2007.

For more information, visit: www.brainstrust.org.uk

Brain Tumour Facts

• Brain cancer is the greatest cause of death among children after accidents.
• It accounts for one quarter of childhood cancer. Tumours of the central nervous system are the second most common form of cancer in children aged birth to 15 years.
• There is no UK-wide strategy for the treatment of, or research into, brain cancer.
• In the UK, there are 6,000 new cases of primary brain tumour every year.
• It is the fastest fatal disease in the over 65s. The incidence is increasing significantly in this age group.
• No structured research base exists for brain tumours, therefore treatment options are limited. It is not known why people get brain cancer.