New £6.9m Brain Cancer Trials Offer Hope After Sister's Tragic Death

The devastating speed of brain cancer robbed Polly, 72, of her beloved sister Sue. Now, new life-giving brain cancer trials are set to transform hope for others facing glioblastoma, the most common type of brain tumour.

A Personal Fight for Hope

Polly's sister, Sue, was diagnosed with grade 4 glioblastoma in December 2020. She experienced unusual symptoms, including shaking and difficulties with spatial awareness.

Due to the tumour's location and fast-growing nature, surgery wasn't an option. Sue's health declined quickly, and she passed away just months later.

Polly shared her heartbreaking experience. She stated: 'It felt unbearable that Sue had only just received a diagnosis and already we were talking about end-of-life care. There simply wasn’t anything they could offer to help her. No family should have to face that with so little hope.'

She added: 'If supporting more research into brain cancers means other families have more time and more hope, then my sister’s legacy lives on.'

£6.9 Million Boost for Breakthroughs

This new £6.9 million programme, called EPIC-GB, is funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research. It's led by experts at the University of Sheffield and the University of Glasgow.

The trials aim to transform how drug treatments are tested for recurrent glioblastoma. Patients will get treatments before surgery, allowing researchers to quickly see which drugs reach the tumour.

This clever approach creates a 'window of opportunity'. It helps patients continue promising treatments or stop ineffective ones fast, reducing unnecessary side effects.

Reaching More Patients

Historically, people in Yorkshire have faced lower survival rates and fewer chances to join glioblastoma research. EPIC-GB aims to change this.

The trials will be available at dedicated Centres of Excellence. These include Sheffield, Leeds, Hull, Edinburgh, Manchester, and Nottingham.

Dr Ola Rominiyi from the University of Sheffield is optimistic. He said: 'We’re optimistic this new study is a vital step forward, ensuring more people can access promising new treatments and giving hope where options have too often been limited.'

Dr Stuart Griffiths, Director of Research, Policy and Impact at Yorkshire Cancer Research, highlighted the urgency. He commented: 'For far too long, people with glioblastoma have faced limited treatment options and there remains an urgent need for more research.'

He believes these advancements 'have the potential to give people in our region more years of life, resulting in more time spent with loved ones.'

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OFFICIAL SOURCE VERIFICATION: This report is based on official data from University Newsroom. Document: New life-giving brain cancer clinical trials to be offered to people in Sheffield Source Link: [Read the official report from University Newsroom](https://sheffield.ac.uk/news/new-life-giving-brain-cancer-clinical-trials-be-offered-to-people-in-sheffield)