Conor Harding, 21, from Chingford, has been diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable brain tumour, after surviving leukaemia four times since the age of five. He was first diagnosed with leukaemia in childhood and spent much of his youth in and out of treatment. After more than four years cancer-free, he began suffering persistent headaches and received the glioblastoma diagnosis in September 2025. Doctors told him the condition is life-limiting.
Conor said: "I'm 21 and I've spent half my life battling cancer. I'd never got to a point where I thought cancer was a thing of the past, but I had got to a point where I actually felt healthy for once. I had a four-year period of feeling good. I was just living life like a normal teenager should be - playing rugby, going out with my mates and building close friendships - but then I went downhill." He added that being told the tumour would likely be the reason he passes was hard to hear, but harder on his parents. "I've just got to be strong for my family and those around me," he said.
Glioblastoma: A Stark Prognosis with Limited Progress
According to Brain Tumour Research, around 3,200 people are diagnosed with glioblastoma each year in the UK. Only about one in three survive beyond a year, while just 4% live for five years or more. Average survival is estimated at 12 to 18 months. Despite major advances in other cancers, treatments for glioblastoma have not significantly improved in more than 20 years.
The charity highlights the stark contrast in survival outcomes: in the 1970s, 10-year survival rates for brain tumours and leukaemia were both extremely low, at seven and nine per cent respectively. Since then, leukaemia survival rates have climbed to nearly 50%, largely due to sustained research investment, while brain tumour survival rates remain below 20%.
Family Campaigns for More Research Funding
Conor's dad Trevor, a client executive for an investment bank, described the diagnosis as devastating. "Being told that Conor's condition was life-limiting was devastating. I can't comprehend it. We've been on this journey so often, but now it feels final," he said. After Conor's fourth leukaemia diagnosis, he underwent a bone marrow transplant and enjoyed a four-and-a-half-year stretch without cancer, starting an apprenticeship as a bricklayer. But following the glioblastoma diagnosis, he underwent surgery requiring 65 staples, followed by rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. An MRI scan in February showed three tumours had returned.
Determined to help other families, Trevor ran the London Marathon in April, raising more than £17,000 for Brain Tumour Research. Two more marathons are planned for 2026. He said: "I think it's shocking, that with the medical advances that have been made for other diseases, we haven't made more progress with brain tumours. What astounded me when I started looking into this is that brain tumours continue to kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002."
Urgent Need for Increased Investment and Trials
Brain Tumour Research says the studies it backs are working to unlock new understanding of glioblastoma, develop more effective treatments and ultimately move closer to a cure. At its Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London, scientists have developed a platform comparing glioblastoma stem cells with healthy brain stem cells from the same patient, aiming to identify what triggers an individual tumour and whether it can be targeted — a key step towards personalised treatment.
Dr Karen Noble, director of research and policy at Brain Tumour Research, said: "Comparing the survival rates of people with leukaemia and those with brain tumours is a stark illustration of the need for more research into brain tumours. Conor's story reflects the devastating reality faced by so many families across the UK. We are calling on the Government to increase the national investment in research into brain tumours, including glioblastoma. We need to also see an increase in the number of clinical trials, and access to them, in the UK, and we want to end inequalities in access to whole genome sequencing that could inform access to trials and emerging treatments."
The charity funds research at specialist centres across the UK and campaigns for the Government and major cancer charities to increase support. It is calling for national annual funding of £35 million to improve outcomes and bring survival rates closer to those seen in cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.
