Image source, SNS

Scientists in Glasgow have discovered that a drug used to treat ovarian cancer could also treat brain tumours.

The research suggests the cancer drug olaparib could be an effective treatment for a common type of brain tumour known as glioblastoma.

A trial involving 48 patients was conducted where glioblastoma had returned after their initial treatment.

Early results found that the drug successfully reached brain tumours at high enough levels for treatment.

The research shows that the drug penetrates the core of the tumour as well as the surrounding areas. These areas contain smaller numbers of cancerous cells which cannot be removed by surgery.

Read more here

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell welcomes Shona Richardson, the wife of Mark, into the chamber.

She extends an offer to Iain Gray to meet him to discuss the cases he raised.

Ms Campbell pays tribute to a teacher Moira Struthers who has recently passed away, who had been fundraising.

Labour MSP Claire Baker speaks about the need for improvements to patient care, including adopting models of care from other cancers and signposting support.

She describes brain tumours as "a cancer of unmet need".

She highlights challenges often faced by families of young children who are diagnosed with cancer.

Image source, Getty Images

Tiny flecks of gold could be used in the fight against cancer, new research suggested in August.

Scientists at Edinburgh University found the precious metal increased the effectiveness of drugs used to treat lung cancer cells.

Minute fragments, known as gold nanoparticles, were encased in a chemical by the research team.

The research involved zebrafish but the team are hopeful the technique could be used to develop human treatments.

Gold is a safe element which can accelerate - or catalyse - chemical reactions.

It is hoped such a method could one day be used to reduce side effects of current chemotherapy treatments by precisely targeting diseased cells without damaging healthy tissue.

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SNP MSP Ruth Maguire says she is "Pleased to hear about pioneering research projects at the University of Edinburgh and Heriot Watt".

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Researchers have found there are seven types of the most common malignant child brain cancer - paving the way for more precise, "kinder" treatments.

Medulloblastoma affects about 70 to 80 children a year in the UK and requires intensive treatment including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

That can leave children with life-altering injuries.

But the breakthrough means targeted treatments could be developed and some of the side-effects avoided.

The finding, reported in Lancet Oncology, external, has been welcomed by families affected by the condition, which is responsible for a fifth of all child brain cancers.

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Labour MSP Iain Gray tells the story of Alex Logan, who has had to go to Mexico to get treatment.

He says "This can not be right".

Background: Boxing superstar Josh Taylor dedicates latest win to young Presotnpans boy Alex Logan.

The East Lothian Courier reported that boxing champion Josh Taylor dedicated the first defence of his WBC Silver super lightweight title to a fellow Prestonpans resident who is battling a rare brain tumour.

Alex Logan has been diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, external(DIPG), the same condition suffered by Tranent youngster Luke Stewart.

And after beating Miguel Vazquez on Saturday, Taylor said the victory was for five-year-old Alex.

Alex’s family have launched an appeal to raise funds for treatment after doctors warned that their options in Scotland were limited.

Scientists in Edinburgh have been using tropical fish to help their understanding of brain tumours.

Researchers at Edinburgh University's Cancer Research Centre found certain specialised immune cells in zebrafish actually encouraged brain tumour cells to grow rather than destroying them.

BBC Scotland's Lisa Summers reports.

SNP MSP Emma Harper reflects on her experience as a nurse, including taking part in awake craniotomy surgery.

She notes that diagnosis among young people is difficult with symptoms often overlooked, as they are mistaken as part of growing up.

"The recognition and diagnosis at an early opportunity" is of utmost importance, she concludes.

Image source, Getty Images

A harmful virus that can cause devastating brain damage in babies could offer up a surprising new treatment for adult brain cancer, according to US scientists in September.

Until now, Zika has been seen only as a global health threat - not a remedy.

But latest research shows the virus can selectively infect and kill hard-to-treat cancerous cells in adult brains.

Zika injections shrank aggressive tumours in fully grown mice, yet left other brain cells unscathed.

Human trials are still a way off, but experts believe Zika virus could potentially be injected into the brain at the same time as surgery to remove life-threatening tumours, the Journal of Experimental Medicine, external reports.

The Zika treatment appears to work on human cell samples in the lab.

Read more here

Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur says "not enough is known about brain cancer".

He calls the lack of funding into brain tumour research "tragic and inexplicable".

Labour MSP Colin Smyth highlights that beyond the statistics, these are "real lives and real people that are tragically effected".

He acknowledges identification can be "incredibly difficult" due to the wide-ranging and non-specific symptoms.

"Primary care has a vital role to play" in early detection, he says.

He adds this must be backed by proper resourcing and funding.

Image source, Headsmart

Conservative MSP Edward Mountain says: "Sadly the treatment of brain tumours is about 20 years behind the treatment of other cancers."

He tells the story of a boy called Robert who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour, who sadly lost his fight in 2017.

Mr Mountain says he mentions the story to show the importance of early diagnosis.

He encourages people to visit the Headsmart , externalwebsite and in particular to read the stories on there.

The symptoms of a malignant brain tumour depend on how big it is and where it is in the brain.

When symptoms do occur, it is because the brain tumour is either putting pressure on the brain or preventing an area of the brain from functioning properly.

Signs of increased pressure on the brain

Common symptoms of increased pressure within the skull include:

• severe, persistent headaches, external – which are typically worse in the morning or when bending over or coughing
• persistent nausea and vomiting
• drowsiness
• vision problems – such as blurred vision, floaters, external and loss of vision that may come and go
• seizures (fits) – which may affect the whole body or just involve a twitch in one area

Image source, Science Photo Library

Symptoms caused by the position of the tumour

Different areas of the brain control different functions, so the symptoms caused by a brain tumour will depend on where the tumour is located. For example, a tumour affecting:

• the frontal lobe may cause changes in personality, weakness in one side of the body and loss of smell
• the temporal lobe may cause forgetfulness, external, language problems (aphasia, external) and seizures
• the parietal lobe may cause aphasia and numbness or weakness in one side of the body
• the occipital lobe may cause loss of vision on one side
• the cerebellum may cause a loss of co-ordination, flickering of the eyes, vomiting and a stiff neck
• the brain stem may cause unsteadiness and difficulty walking, facial weakness, double vision, and difficulty speaking (dysarthria, external) and swallowing (dysphagia, external)

Read more about diagnosing malignant brain tumours, external.

Image source, bbc

SNP MSP Clare Haughey says she hopes the debate will increase the understanding in the public of the impact of brain tumours.

Ms Haughey says a benign brain tumour can be equally devastating as a malignant tumour.

Conservative MSP Alexander Stewart pays tribute to Mark Richardson, who died at the age of 33, and the work of his wife Shona who has campaigned since then to raise money and awareness.

He says the investment into brain tumour research has been "woefully insufficient".

Mr Stewart says: "Progress has not been achieved equally across the cancer sectors.

"Less than 2% of cancer research funding was spent on brain tumour research."

He praises the work of Paul Brennan at the University of Edinburgh for his work on brain tumour research.

"The patient experience has to improve," adds Mr Stewart.