On Thursday, September 4, 2025, a brain tumour patient from the Midlands shared his experience with pharmaceutical and med-tech companies at a roundtable event in Westminster. The event, chaired by Sarah Edwards MP (Lab Tamworth), aimed to discuss the challenges faced by organizations in developing and delivering innovative brain tumour treatments and technologies within the NHS.
Among the attendees at the event was Ms. Edwards’ constituent, 26-year-old Owen Sutton, who had to learn to walk and talk again after experiencing a stroke during surgery to remove a brain tumour. Sutton, who has since been part of a clinical trial, was one of several individuals with lived experience of the condition who attended the event.
The roundtable discussion will provide crucial evidence for a report on the issue being produced by The Brain Tumour Charity, which aims to help shape future healthcare policy. The Charity’s previous report, published in May, identified the key obstacles preventing people with brain tumours from taking part in research. These included limited awareness and availability of clinical trials for brain tumours, inadequate facilities for the collection and storage of tissue for research, and insufficient support for patients’ cognitive and physical well-being to enable participation.
Owen, from Tamworth in Staffordshire, was diagnosed with a low-grade pilocytic astrocytoma while attending university in Nottingham. Now a Young Ambassador for The Brain Tumour Charity, Owen is advocating for greater investment in research and better access to clinical trials for people with brain tumours, which currently have the lowest recruitment levels compared to other cancer types.
Reflecting on his own experience, Owen said, “The fact that tumours like mine are ‘benign’ or non-cancerous meant that chemotherapy wouldn’t necessarily work for me, so surgery was the only real option, and it was meant to be low risk.” However, following the surgery, Owen was unable to move or speak. After extensive rehabilitation, speech therapy, and proton beam therapy, he was able to regain his mobility. However, he still experiences immense fatigue, seizures, and is unable to do many of the things he wants to do.
Thanks to his mother and oncologist’s relentless research, Owen became part of a clinical trial at HCA London in 2021, for which he was eligible. Since then, he has been taking seven tablets a day and undergoing regular scans, which have shown that while his tumour remains stable, the cystic element has been shrinking. Additionally, his seizures have stopped.
Being part of a clinical trial has given Owen a sense of purpose and the opportunity to make a real difference while facing an uncertain future. He also has access to regular check-ups and brain scans to monitor his progress, something he would not have had on the NHS. This reassurance has allowed Owen to move on in a way he never could have otherwise.
Reflecting on the roundtable discussion, Sarah Edwards MP said, “I was delighted to chair yesterday’s roundtable alongside my constituent, Owen. It’s vital that we not only identify the challenges in brain tumour care but also focus on how we can overcome them. Hearing directly from both patients and experts was invaluable in shaping that conversation.”
Following the roundtable, Ms. Edwards also met with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton MP. She was encouraged by the fact that Ms. Dalton has already been in discussions with The Brain Tumour Charity. Ms. Edwards looks forward to seeing the final report that The Charity delivers with the gathered insights and findings.
For more information on The Brain Tumour Charity’s research work, campaigning, and support services, please visit their website at https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/news/.