Brain tumours

Manchester treats the most brain tumour patients in the UK. We are the only centre able to offer all modalities of treatment, including proton beam therapy.

Brain tumours can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). While benign tumours can often be cured with surgery, the required brain surgery has the risk of neurological harm, including stroke and the loss of important senses like hearing and sight.

In some, the damage caused by surgery would be too severe, and so the tumour cannot be completely removed. Other treatments such as radiotherapy then become important, although they have their own side effects.

Key people

Brain tumours can also be part of a genetic (inheritable condition). Two of the more common (but still rare) conditions are NF1 and NF2. Although the names are very similar, they are very different and produce entirely different sorts of brain tumours.

Neurofibromatosis tumours are related to mutations in genes that play key roles in suppressing cell growth in the nervous system. These mutations keep the genes NF1 and NF2 from making normal proteins that control cell production.

Manchester is one of two NF1 specialist centres in England. For NF2, it is the lead centre for the NF2 service. Five of the top 25 NF2 experts in the world are in Manchester.

The world-leading NF2 research in Manchester has led to investment from the international charity NF2 BioSolutions, which has funded the Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre to host two PhD students. Read more on the NF2 BioSolutions blog.