On World Cancer Research Day, Cure Brain Cancer Foundation CEO Andrew Giles urges governments, philanthropists, and everyday Australians to fund the research that can save lives.
Every September 24, World Cancer Research Day challenges us not only to remember those we’ve lost, but also to reimagine a future where a cancer diagnosis is not a life sentence. As the CEO of an organisation dedicated to this fight, I am compelled to speak out for those battling brain cancer, a community urgently needing our collective compassion, attention, and funding.
The Promise in Our Past
Let’s start with some optimism. Australia’s story with breast cancer is nothing short of remarkable. In 1982, the five-year relative survival rate for breast cancer was just 79%. Through decades of concerted research efforts, innovation, and tireless work by clinicians and scientists, that number soared to 92% between 2016–2020. This means that today, more than nine in ten Australians diagnosed with breast cancer will survive at least five years, compared to less than eight in ten just one generation ago. These gains were not the result of luck, they were won by decades of investment in research, breakthroughs in detection and treatment, and unwavering shared determination to beat the disease.
But this same progress has eluded brain cancer. While breast cancer’s trajectory provides hope, it also casts a harsh light on the current crisis we face with brain cancer. The reality is stark, brain cancer remains one of the deadliest of all cancers in Australia, with survival rates that have barely improved in decades.
The Grim Reality for Brain Cancer
Brain cancer kills more children in Australia than any other disease, and more people under 40 than any other cancer. The five-year survival rate for brain cancer stubbornly hovers around 22%. In real terms, this means nearly four out of five people diagnosed with brain cancer will not survive five years post-diagnosis. These aren’t just numbers, they represent loved ones, our children, parents, friends, whose futures are stolen.
The reason for this grim reality is not that brain cancer is beyond reach, but that it is under-researched and severely underfunded. Brain cancer receives a fraction of the research funding allocated to more ‘visible’ cancers, despite its devastating impact and persistently low survival rates.
The Power and Necessity of Research
What the story of breast cancer has taught us is powerful. Research transforms lives. When we resource our brightest minds, invest in modern facilities, and give clinicians and scientists the tools they need, we create a domino effect of hope that ripples across generations.
The future of a cure for brain cancer lies not in wishful thinking, but in daring investment and scientific curiosity. More researchers must be given the chance to challenge the status quo, trial new therapies, and adapt emerging technologies like precision medicine, immunotherapy, and artificial intelligence to the unique challenges of brain tumours.
However, this will not happen by accident. It requires deliberate and courageous choices from both the public and private sectors.
A Call to Action: Uniting for the Future of a Cure
Today, on World Cancer Research Day, I issue a simple but unyielding call to government, philanthropists, business leaders, and all Australians. Fund brain cancer research like our future depends on it, because for thousands of families, it genuinely does.
- Policymakers: Embed brain cancer research as a national priority. We must increase funding, streamline clinical trial processes, and incentivise young scientists and researchers to build careers in this field.
- Philanthropic and corporate leaders: Make brain cancer research a cornerstone of your giving and corporate social responsibility strategies. The pay-off, lives saved and futures restored will be significant.
- Everyday Australians: Advocate, get involved, donate, and spread awareness. Your voice helps sustain the momentum needed for change.
Imagining Tomorrow
Let us use the breast cancer story as both blueprint and beacon. Let us imagine a future in which the words “incurable brain cancer” no longer exist in the Australian vocabulary. Every person lost to brain cancer is a tragedy, not only in the heartbreak left behind but also in the possibility and potential lost to the nation.
The future of a cure is within our reach if we choose action over apathy. Please, join us and be part of a new chapter. One marked by hope, dedicated research, and, ultimately, victory over brain cancer.
Because when we commit to research, the future is not just possible, it is promising.
