Mrs Sharon Hodgson

Absolutely. I cannot think of a worthier cause than turning brain cancer from terminal to treatable. That is something that we can absolutely all get behind. I am especially grateful to Brain Cancer Justice, which led the campaign for the petition and this very well-attended debate, as well as Brain Tumour Research and the Brain Tumour Charity. They all do fantastic work advocating for people diagnosed with a brain tumour and their loved ones. Since this Government came into office, over 232,000 more people got a cancer diagnosis or an all-clear on time, about 42,000 more patients started treatment on time, and rates of early diagnosis are hitting record highs. A lot has been done, but there is a lot more to do, especially on rare and less common cancers. That is why my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for West Lancashire (Ashley Dalton), made sure that the national cancer plan would be the first plan in history to have a chapter dedicated to rare cancers. There are not enough treatment options available for people with brain cancer. I have spoken to so many patients and campaigners who are searching for that glimmer of hope on clinical trials. This desperate search takes a real toll on them, not to mention their families and carers. We will prioritise their access to specialist treatment and multidisciplinary teams, and we want to ensure that all patients with rare cancer can benefit from the best care available. We will work with charities to make sure that patients are getting the right information to manage their cancer care. We are rolling out Jess’s rule and tracking cancer diagnosed in emergency settings.