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When Castleford mum Katie Synnott was diagnosed with glioblastoma in January 2025, her world turned upside down. This aggressive form of brain cancer offers limited treatment options, and her family was devastated to learn that she would need to travel to Germany for experimental immunotherapy – a treatment not available on the NHS.
Despite the challenges, Katie’s community has rallied around her, raising an incredible £90,000 to help fund her treatment. Her story is inspiring, but it also highlights a troubling reality: too many brain tumour patients are forced to seek costly treatments abroad due to a lack of options at home.
The Urgent Need for Research Investment
Dr. Anke Brüning-Richardson, Research Trustee at Yorkshire’s Brain Tumour Charity (YBTC) and Senior Lecturer in Biomedicine, appeared on BBC Look North on March 10, 2025, to discuss Katie’s case and the wider issue of brain tumour research. “If you compare to other cancer types, it is very rare. However, it is unfortunately one of the most aggressive types of cancer that you can encounter,” she said. “It is very sad that this is happening to this poor lady.”
Katie’s treatment in Germany focuses on immunotherapy, a promising approach that aims to restimulate the body's immune response against the tumour. Dr. Brüning-Richardson explains: “This approach in Germany is different. It’s looking at restimulating your immune response to these tumours, which is normally taken away, partly because of where the tumours are and partly by the tumours themselves. They can actually dampen the immune response. So, it’s a promising approach.”
Bringing Breakthroughs Closer to Home
One of the biggest barriers to making innovative treatments like immunotherapy more accessible is research funding. “The problem is that this particular treatment has not been approved by clinical trials, so it is an experimental procedure, I think, still in Germany. And obviously, the patient has to go there, and it’s a very personalised treatment, so cells from the patient are taken and used for the treatment, which makes it really expensive,” Dr. Brüning-Richardson explained.
She also highlighted that ongoing trials in the UK are progressing but not yet fully approved. “We have ongoing trials here in the UK in terms of immunotherapy, they have progressed into different stages but have not been approved yet, so we really just have to wait for the outcome of these.”
Brain tumour research lags behind other types of cancer, such as breast cancer, when it comes to understanding tumour biology, diagnostics, and treatment advancements. “Surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy do not work in the long term, and we are lagging behind there in comparison to other cancer types such as breast cancer. So, we really need to focus much more on the research, which obviously needs also funding,” she emphasized.
Yorkshire’s Brain Tumour Charity is committed to investing in local research, in the hope of finding new treatments and improving the health outcomes of brain tumour patients. On 24th March, YBTC will be opening up to funding bids of up to £5,000 to help towards the costs of seed-funding projects, which will enable innovative proof of concept studies, hopefully leading towards future breakthroughs in brain tumour research. See https://www.yorksbtc.org.uk/2025-research-call for further information.
How You Can Help
Stories like Katie’s shine a spotlight on the urgent need for increased investment in brain tumour research. Yorkshire’s Brain Tumour Charity is committed to funding ground-breaking studies and supporting patients affected by this devastating disease. But we can’t do it alone.
By donating, fundraising, or simply spreading awareness, you can help drive change and ensure that future patients have access to life-saving treatments without having to travel abroad. Together, we can work towards a future where no one has to fight a brain tumour alone.
To learn more and support our mission, visit Yorkshire’s Brain Tumour Charity, watch the full interview with Anke below:
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