A new campaign called HeadSmart is to be launched by a coalition of medical experts and brain tumour charities to increase public awareness of brain tumour symptoms in children and young people.
The campaign has been jointly created by The Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust and the Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre at the University of Nottingham. The aim of the HeadSmart campaign is to support clinicians and patients in understanding and recognising the symptoms of brain tumours.
Brain tumours are the leading cause of cancer deaths in children, with almost ten being diagnosed each week in the UK. The current problem is children and young people have to wait longer to be diagnosed with a brain tumour compared with many other developed areas of the world. These delays in diagnosis ultimately cost lives, whereas quick medical intervention increases the survival rate and outcome for patients.
