Patient says GBM breakthrough is “great news”

1 min read

A brain tumour patient living with the deadliest form of the disease has shared his excitement at a recent significant breakthrough which could mean more effective treatment.

Researchers at the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Imperial College, London have discovered a potential new treatment which could dramatically improve the effectiveness of radiotherapy for patients diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). They found that a drug which depletes the amino acid arginine made GBM tumours much more susceptible to radiotherapy. Read more here.

Dad-of-three Liam Bergin was 49 when, out of the blue, he was diagnosed with a GBM in April 2020. He underwent surgery, which removed 95% of the tumour, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy,

Reacting to the news, Liam said: “It’s always great to get news of a breakthrough for our community. This is particularly exciting, as radiotherapy is often used early in a patient’s treatment journey.

“Receiving the diagnosis can be shocking and difficult to come to terms with for patients and their families. It’s even more devastating when you consider the disproportionate number of young people who die from brain tumours.

“Any development as promising as this, can make those conversations easier and brings much-needed hope to anyone affected by GBMs. I hope this positive development will encourage more people to support Brain Tumour Research, as it’s only through campaigning and fundraising that progress like this can continue to be made.”

Keen to raise awareness and funds to help find a cure, Liam is currently taking part in our 10,000 Steps a Day in February Challenge. If you would like to support his fundraising, you can donate here.

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