Nine-year-old Noah from Saffron Walden in Essex joins campaign to highlight brain tumour symptoms

• Watch our report from Hannah Pettifer

A nine-year old Lego fan has joined a campaign to raise awareness of the warning signs of a brain tumour after having surgery to remove one the size of a golf ball.

Noah Wiseman was just seven years old when he first had symptoms of what would later be diagnosed as an ependymoma brain tumour.

He had headaches and sickness, especially in the morning, for a few weeks. His mother Lucy took him to hospital where a CT scan found the tumour .

Noah had surgery to remove the tumour, followed by proton beam therapy and radiotherapy. He has regular scans to monitor his condition, which continue to be clear.

Now Noah can now enjoy singing, dancing, playing with Lego and helping out on the family's farm.

Ms Wiseman said: "Although brain tumours are rare, they still happen more often than you may think.

"However, many people still have never had experience of a brain tumour so there's a definite need to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms among the public so they are well informed should it happen to them."

In hospital Mrs Wiseman was told about The Brain Tumour Charity's prior signs and symptoms campaign, HeadSmart. She said: "The HeadSmart website confirmed my concerns about my son's symptoms.

"That is what encouraged me to seek further medical advice, which led to both a prompt diagnosis and speedy treatment, resulting in the happy and healthy boy we have now."

The Brain Tumour Charity's campaign launches as analysis of NHS cancer incidence data shows that the number of people who have been diagnosed with a brain tumour in England has risen by over 50% in the last two decades .

Dr David Jenkinson, chief scientific officer at the Brain Tumour Charity said: "We're really grateful to Noah and his family for supporting the Brain Tumour Charity's 'Better Safe Than Tumour' campaign by sharing their story.

"These worrying figures show how urgently we need to act on this.

While brain tumours remain relatively rare, incidence has continued to rise significantly over the last two decades, and this has unfortunately not yet been matched by the tangible progress in diagnosis, treatment and survival outcomes seen in many other cancers."

Mrs Wiseman added: "We feel lucky. We have a great support network around us and the Brain Tumour Charity have been so lovely to us.

"We are happy and positive now. This experience has reminded us that life can be very unpredictable, no one knows what's coming next."

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