MEDIA RELEASE

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Death of Senator Kennedy

Following news of the death of Senator Edward Kennedy, the International Brain Tumour Alliance (IBTA) said it extends to the family, colleagues and friends of Senator Kennedy their condolences at this sad loss. Senator Kennedy passed away after a 15-month battle against a malignant primary brain tumour.

Brain tumours are a devastating disease that can wreak havoc on people of all ages. Last year a one-week old baby in the UK was operated on for a brain tumour and in the USA, UK and Canada brain tumours have now overtaken all leukaemias as being the greatest cancer killer of children under 15 years of age.

Each year 200,000 people worldwide develop a malignant primary brain tumour similar to the one that Senator Kennedy has died from and there has been only a minimal improvement in new therapies in the past 30 years.

Denis Strangman, Chair of the IBTA, said: "Senator Kennedy and his family brought together the brightest brain tumour specialists in the USA, and possibly in the world, to map out a strategy to treat his brain tumour.  Of course, the specialists did the best they could, but regrettably Senator Kennedy survived only 15 months, which is only several months more than the typical prognosis for his type of brain  tumour. This instransigent and relentless disease is extremely challenging to treat and beat."

Mr Strangman added: "To make real advances we need a huge focus of attention and resources to discover new therapies that will make a difference in how we presently treat brain tumours.

"There are many bright scientists at work and we are grateful, for example, at the priority given to brain tumours in the human genome project but the attention needs to be concentrated and sustained.

"We should also not forget the 60% of those with brain tumours who live in low and middle income countries and cannot even access the standard therapy that we take for granted in the developed world."

Authorised by Denis Strangman, Chair, International Brain Tumour Alliance.

Contact: string@hotkey.net.au

Website: www.theibta.org

Phone: +61 2 62583912

26 August 2009