![\"Charlotte](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0_Charlotte-Curnow-on-her-first-day-of-radiotherapy.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCharlotte Curnow is now trying to make the most of her time<\/p>\n
09:08, 25 Oct 2026Updated 09:44, 25 Oct 2026<\/p>\n
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Charlotte Curnow on her first day of radiotherapy(Image: Charlotte Curnow\/Brain Tumour Research)<\/p>\n
A mum felt she\u2019d been \u201chanded a death sentence\u201d when she had a phone call from the hospital with her test results.<\/p>\n
After facing two brain tumour diagnoses nearly 20 years apart, she is now calling on the Government to increase investment in research to help improve treatment options and outcomes for patients. Charlotte Curnow, 56, from Nottingham, was first diagnosed with a low-grade glioma in 2004 after an MRI scan for hearing problems unexpectedly revealed the brain tumour on the right frontal lobe of her brain.<\/p>\n
Following three years of monitoring, she underwent surgery in 2007 to remove the mass. After years of stable scans, doctors suggested discharging Charlotte, but she requested to continue having MRI scans every two years.<\/p>\n
Brain-infecting fungus on rise, \u2018zombie\u2019 cells hide from immune system, hidden Alzheimer\u2019s culprit overlooked, and crisps and frozen meals raise risk of brain damage – all this and more in our science newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n Scans showed regrowth<\/p>\n In 2023, those scans revealed the tumour had started growing again, but this time it was an aggressive and incurable glioblastoma <\/a>\u2013 a brain cancer with a poor prognosis. Although just one-third of people diagnosed with glioblastoma will survive beyond a year, there have been no new treatments approved since 2005, according to Brain Tumour Research.<\/p>\n Charlotte Curnow with her son Elliott on his graduation day(Image: Charlotte Curnow\/Brain Tumour Research)<\/p>\n Last week, the Government made a historic commitment to improving survival rates for brain tumour patients, following a meeting between Prime Minister Andy Burnham<\/a> and the Commonwealth swimmer and brain tumour patient Archie Goodburn. Brain tumours kill more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer, yet funding remains critically low.<\/p>\n Just 1% of the national spend on cancer research was allocated to brain tumours between 2002 and 2021, the charity said. New analysis from <\/a>Brain Tumour Research<\/a> <\/a>has shown that nearly three-quarters (74%) of research funding into brain tumours comes from the charity sector, compared to just 26% from the Government. Now, Charlotte joins the charity\u2019s call on the Government to support increased investment of at least \u00a345 million a year in research in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.<\/p>\n ‘I was dumbstruck’<\/p>\n Charlotte said: \u201cBefore my diagnosis, life was busy but ordinary. I\u2019d worked in financial services for most of my career and was looking forward to returning to work after maternity leave. My son, Elliott, was still a baby and, like any new mum, my world<\/a> revolved around him. I\u2019d experienced some problems with my hearing, so my consultant arranged an MRI scan before I was due back to work.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt completely well and had no reason to think anything serious was wrong, so when the scan showed a mass on the right frontal lobe of my brain, I was completely dumbstruck. I didn\u2019t have any symptoms at all. One moment I was planning my return to work and the next I was being told I had a brain tumour. It felt like I was carrying a time bomb inside my head.\u201d<\/p>\n Charlotte was initially placed on a watch-and-wait programme, undergoing regular MRI scans for three years. When the tumour grew, she underwent a craniotomy in 2007 and a biopsy confirmed it was a slow-growing grade 2 glioma. She continued to have regular MRI scans after surgery.<\/p>\n Requested continued monitoring<\/p>\n Around 10 years later, Charlotte said, her consultant believed changes visible around the surgery site were scar tissue rather than tumour regrowth and suggested she could stop having scans and be discharged. Charlotte didn\u2019t feel comfortable ending the monitoring and agreed to a compromise with her consultant to continue having an MRI every two years.<\/p>\n Charlotte said: \u201cSix years later, an MRI scan showed the tumour had started growing again. Around that time, I also started experiencing seizures. My hearing and vision would become strange before my heart started racing \u2013 giving me just enough time to lie down if I could.<\/p>\n \u201cIn August 2023, I underwent my second craniotomy. Because the tumour was deep within my brain, my surgeon carried out a partial debulking rather than attempting to remove all of it, as preserving my quality of life was incredibly important to me.<\/p>\n “The surgery went well and, after six weeks recovering at home, I was preparing to start radiotherapy and chemotherapy when I received a phone call with the biopsy results. When I heard the words \u2018grade 4 glioblastoma\u2019, it felt like I\u2019d been handed a death sentence. I went downstairs to tell Elliott the news.\u201d<\/p>\n The charity said brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age and nearly 13,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour every year. Six weeks after surgery, Charlotte began radiotherapy <\/a>alongside chemotherapy<\/a>, followed by a further six months of chemotherapy. She completed treatment in June 2024, but it took another six months before she began to regain her physical strength.<\/p>\n Charlotte Curnow ringing the bell following her treatments(Image: Charlotte Curnow\/Brain Tumour Research)<\/p>\n ‘Scanxiety’<\/p>\n Charlotte said: \u201cOne of the hardest things to live with is \u2018scanxiety\u2019. I try not to let the worry consume every day leading up to the appointment and instead remind myself that, although my diagnosis is devastating, I do at least know what I\u2019m dealing with. I know the warning signs to watch for, such as seizures or weakness and numbness in my left leg and I know when to seek help.<\/p>\n “There are so many people who don\u2019t have those answers yet, and reminding myself of that helps me stay grounded. No matter how positive you try to be, waiting for MRI scans and then sitting in the clinic waiting for the results never becomes easy. Over time, though, I\u2019ve learned to manage it better.\u201d<\/p>\n Since finishing treatment, Charlotte has reduced her working hours and is determined to make the most of her time with family and friends. One milestone she feared she would never see was Elliott\u2019s university graduation, but she was able to watch him graduate last year.<\/p>\n Raising awareness<\/p>\n![\"Charlotte](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0_Charlotte-Curnow-with-her-son-Elliott-on-his-graduation-day.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Charlotte](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0_Charlotte-Curnow-ringing-the-bell-following-her-treatments.jpg\")
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