Brain Tumour Awareness Month

March is Brain Tumour Awareness Month. Children with Cancer UK funds a number of innovative brain tumour research projects aimed at improving survival rates and enhancing quality of life for young patients.

Show your support today.

Children with Cancer UK fund several innovative brain tumour research projects, which will directly impact on survival and quality of life for patients.

We need your help to continue funding this critical research and future projects to accelerate improvements to treatments and improve outcomes for all types of brain tumours.

Donate today to help us continue to fund vital research and spread awareness of the impact of brain tumours.

Join us in supporting Brain Tumour Awareness Month

Brain and other central nervous system tumours are by far the greatest cancer-related cause of death in children in the UK. We are working with dedicated researchers and clinicians to change that, using research to improve lives.

On average, every month over 30 children* (the size of a classroom in the UK), are diagnosed with a brain tumou r which will have a life-changing impact on them and their family. Just over half of the children who do survive will have neurological disabilities for the rest of their lives because surgery and treatments, such as chemotherapy, lack specificity and therefore can destroy healthy cells leading to permanently damaging side effects.

But there is hope with your help.

In March, we’re recognising Brain Tumour Awareness Month, highlighting important advances in brain tumour research.

That’s why our research includes projects focused on targeted treatment options tailored to each child’s specific cancer.

*Statistic calculated based on figures provided by Cancer Research UK.

Find out more about brain and spinal tumours

What are brain tumours?

Learn more about the types of cancers that brain and central nervous system tumours are, from Dr Mohammed Abbas Khaki, GP and Children with Cancer UK Ambassador.

Life-saving brain tumour research

Learn about vital brain tumour research funded by Children with Cancer UK, made possible by the generosity of our supporters.

Looking for early signs on brain MRIs that can predict whether young people with ependymoma will go on to experience cognitive problems

Dr Shivaram Avula is working to identify markers in the brains of young people with brain tumours that will help predict the development of long-term side effects like learning and memory problems.

Tracking the spread of metastatic medulloblastoma to identify key drivers of disease progression and therapeutic vulnerabilities

Dr Laura Donovan and her team are uncovering the key drivers of metastasis in order find new ways to develop targeted treatments that can stop cancer from spreading. This approach could lead to better treatments for children with metastatic and recurrent medulloblastoma, improving survival rates and reducing long-term side effects.

Building better models of brain tumours to advance patient treatment

This project focuses on investigating the interaction between tumour cells and their environment which will provide understanding into how a tumour develops and grows and will help in identifying cellular pathways that can be targeted by therapies without damaging healthy tissue.

Read inspirational real-life stories from brain tumour patients

Alfie smiling in bed with nasal tube (1)

Alfie’s story

Alfie was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of brain tumour, in September 2019, at the age of nine. Some months before Alfie’s diagnosis, he had been suffering with headaches, sometimes accompanied with vomiting. Alfie was always a sociable and popular boy at school, but his parents noticed he had become withdrawn from his peers.

Alfie was also diagnosed with posterior fossa syndrome following the surgery to remove his tumour, and had to learn to walk and talk again. In October 2020, Alfie rang the end of treatment bell and, in December 2025, he celebrated his 16th birthday and reached his 5-year scans since ringing the end of treatment bell.

Alfie is an inspiration to us all and we are so proud of him.

Read Alfie’s story

Get involved this Brain Tumour Awareness Month

Get involved this March to spread awareness of brain tumours in children and young people, and the urgent need for more research.