Bereaved families in the North East back a campaign demanding better funding to treat brain tumours
Video report by Jonny Blair
More than 112,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Government to increase research grants for studies into better treatment for brain tumours. They are currently the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under the age of 40.
38 year old Katie Coxon died of a brain tumour just three months after diagnosis. Among those calling for change is her sister Lauren Loan, who lives near Chester-le-Street in County Durham.
Lauren said, "We were intially told she had 2 to 3 years to live, but the kind of tumour she had was in the centre of the brain and inoperable and very aggressive. In early January we were told it had spread to other parts of the brain and she has 2 to 3 weeks to live. So from 2 to 3 years to three months and she died on the 15th of January this year."
The campaign is lead by national charity Brain Tumour Research which today sent a report, backed by the signatures, to all MPs and the Prime Minister.
The Department of Health says it has already announced £40million worth of funding for research - on top of work which was already underway. It says efforts to find new treatments and therapies have redoubled in recent years.