Worcestershire brain tumour patient's government funding plea

Laurent Keeble-Buckle, right, was diagnosed with a grade 4 astrocytoma in February 2022

A brain cancer patient who travelled abroad for treatment not offered by the NHS has called for more government funding to aid research.

Laurent Keeble-Buckle, 47, from Worcestershire, was diagnosed with a grade 4 astrocytoma in February 2022.

He said he had spent "hours" searching for treatment options online before he flew to Germany for immunotherapy.

A government spokesperson said funding continued to be available to develop new treatments.

Mr Keeble-Buckle had a craniotomy in April 2022, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

A fundraising page raised more than £70,000 to enable him to undergo immunotherapy in Tübingen.

The treatment, which stimulates the body's natural immune system to destroy cancer cells, is not currently approved within the NHS for brain tumours.

Mr Keeble-Buckle (right) took part in a fundraising sports day organised by colleagues

Mr Keeble-Buckle, who has an 11-year-old son, is half-way through a course of 14 vaccinations to treat the illness, administered every six weeks.

He flies to Germany, receives the course of injections and returns the same day.

"We felt forced to look online," he said.

"We saw various options, most of which were overseas and now that's our reality."

According to Brain Tumour Research, at least 16,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year.

To boost the fight against the illness, Mr Keeble-Buckle is campaigning alongside the charity for an annual national investment of £35m a year by 2028.

He said more people should know about the cancer so it could get the funding it needed.

"In the UK, brain tumours are insufficiently understood," he added.

A government spokesperson said: "We've specifically allocated £40m for research in this area, on top of £1bn a year for wider health research."We've invested in every suitable research application made and the funding will continue to be available for further studies to develop new treatments and therapies for brain tumours."