Father-of-two with inoperable tumour highlights underfunding in brain cancer research

A LONDON-based father of two, who is a brain cancer patient, is calling for better funding for the fatal disease in a campaign launched by Brain Tumour Research on Monday (28).

Sharing his story in the charity's “Stop the Devastation” campaign, Sam Suriakumar, 35, revealed how he was detected with brain tumour 16 months ago when he was hospitalised after having a seizure while he was travelling in the tube in London. 

"I didn't hear the explanation, the diagnosis, where it is, which side, I just thought 'I've got a brain tumour and I'm probably not going to last the week' and my immediate thoughts went to my daughters," says Suriakumar, adding that he is fighting the disease “really hard at the moment”.

Diagnosed with inoperable glioma, Suriakumar can no longer work or drive, and said he and his wife Sindhu Samuel, a GP, now live their life “from scan-to-scan” but he is choosing to be “positive”.

Suriakumar reportedly hopes to raise awareness of brain tumours and bring to light the underfunding through this campaign, calling for £35 million to be made available for research every year for this disease which reportedly kills more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer.

About 88 per cent of those diagnosed with a brain tumour die within five years, says the charity, adding that the disease is the cause of 35 per cent of all cancer deaths in children, yet just one per cent of national funding for cancer research is allocated to brain tumours.

Highlighting the underfunding in this field, the charity claims that just £98m has been spent researching brain tumours in comparison to £680m spent researching breast cancer since 2002 in the UK.

Suriakumar added: “I knew very little about brain tumours before my diagnosis but I’m keen to raise awareness, particularly of the underfunding for research to understand the disease and find a cure.”