Swimmer Archie Goodburn thanks prime minister as brain cancer review announced

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Swimmer Archie Goodburn thanks prime minister as brain cancer review announced
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Swimmer Archie Goodburn has been successful in his efforts to improve brain cancer care for patients as the UK government announce new measures.
The Scottish athlete, who was diagnosed with three inoperable brain tumours two years ago, met Prime Minister Andy Burnham after making a tearful TV appeal for more investment to be put into brain cancer research.
After the meeting, Burnham announced a new national brain cancer clinical lead and promised a review of brain cancer progress and action to get patients treatment sooner.
Goodburn, 25, thanked the prime minister and said all three of his requests have been "promised to some extent" but "fleshing out" needs to be done on the details.
The prime minister described the swimmer an "inspiration to us all" and said he was "delighted" to welcome him to Downing Street.
Burnham said: "He has spoken passionately about the need for change on brain cancer, and he's right: progress hasn't been good enough, here or anywhere else.
"Families facing this disease can't afford to wait."
Goodburn reached the final of the 50m breaststroke at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
He said he went for medical tests after suffering from numbness and seizures during training for the 2024 Olympic trials.
He was diagnosed with three large oligodendrogliomas, a rare type of cancer which can affect the brain and spinal cord.
The Edinburgh-born athlete underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy to treat the tumours, but surgery to remove them was found to be impossible.
- Swimmer Goodburn diagnosed with inoperable brain tumours 
  - Published27 June 2024
The review will be led Prof Anthony Chalmers, who is chairman of clinical oncology at the University of Glasgow, and will assess what progress has been made in the sector since 2018.
It aims to highlight "what is still holding progress back".
This will be followed by a national cancer plan with a view to get new treatments "out of the lab and to patients faster," Downing Street said.
It added the prime minister has asked the medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), to conclude its review of the rules for medicines that treat rare conditions sooner.
He has urged the regulator to complete the review in two years rather than three, bringing forward any changes to the rules that could help patients get new treatments sooner.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast earlier this year, Goodburn described how trials around the world are not being seen in the UK which is "unfair and unjust".
The government added that patients, families and charities will help design a drive to get more people onto clinical trials.
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper, who also attended the meeting in Downing Street, is set to lead it.
Following the meeting, Goodburn said: "They have listened to the thousands of voices all around the country and the thousands of families who have been begging for change for years.
"All three asks have been promised to some extent and there is some fleshing out that needs to be done on the details.
"I don't think I could ask for much more at this point so I sent a very strong thanks to Andy Burnham for his time."
A spokesperson for the UK government said the announcement applies to the whole of the United Kingdom as the research body involved - the National Institute for Health and Social Care Research (NIHR) - works in collaboration with devolved administrations in a number of its funding programmes.
Health and social services are a devolved power in Scotland.
First Minister John Swinney, who also recently met Goodburn, noted the Scottish government's commitment to support more clinical trials.
He said: "We are proud to support national leadership for brain cancer through the Scottish Adult Neuro-Oncology Network.
"This brings together clinicians, patients and voluntary sector representatives to improve the care of people with brain cancers across Scotland.
"We will give careful consideration to any further role which Scotland could play to give people living with brain cancer a faster route from research to treatment."
Charity Brain Tumour Research said the disease was the cancer most likely to kill patients under 40 in the UK.
They said charities made up more than 75% of the total national investment in brain tumour research, with the government funding sitting at 25%.
Following the announcement, chief executive Dan Knowles thanked Goodburn for his "tireless efforts" in raising awareness of the disease.
He said: "We are optimistic that this renewed focus will help ensure discoveries in the laboratory actually make it to patients who so desperately need more options."
The Rare Cancers Bill, led by Edinburgh South West MP Scott Arthur, became law earlier this year.
The legislation aims to incentivise research and investment into the treatment of rare types of cancer, defined as those affecting fewer than 1 in every 2,000 people.
But Goodburn previously said that did not go far enough and a dedicated brain cancer lead would allow for greater focus on specific research and trials.
Arthur said the act was "vital" to driving research needed into the condition, but Goodburn's meeting with Burnham could lead to further work in the field.
"There is real opportunity in the sector to dismantle the barriers to research that charities, clinicians, and researchers have known about for decades," he said before the meeting.
"Having met Archie a number of times I know he is a fantastic advocate for the brain tumour community.
"I hope his meeting with the prime minister is a moment for concrete progress to be made."
  - Published25 June 2025

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