Richard was diagnosed with a grade 2 'diffuse' astrocytoma in 2017, at the age of 35.
The tumour was inoperable but radiotherapy and chemotherapy halted its growth and kept Richard's condition stable. He knew that the tumour was still there, and lived with the expectation that it would start growing again. No one knew when; it was watch and wait.
Meanwhile, Richard continued to live life to the fullest that he could. Incredibly he ran the London Marathon in 2018 to raise funds for research into brain tumours, and also swam the Serpentine and completed a 100-mile cycle ride. He raised more than £15,000.
Very sadly, Richard died in December 2023, following regrowth of the tumour.
We remain hugely inspired by Richard's resolute determination to live life to the full in the face of such a difficult diagnosis, and we remember him with immense fondness and gratitude.
"I support Brain Research UK because, whilst there is no cure for me, research can help someone else in the future - and I want to be part of that."
More than 12,000 people face the devastating diagnosis of a brain tumour every year in the UK. With more than 130 different types of brain tumour, which may all present with different types of symptoms, they are difficult to diagnose and exceptionally difficult to treat.
Yet research into brain tumours is underfunded relative to research into many other cancers. This is reflected in the lack of progress in treating these tumours and the continued poor prognosis for patients. This is why we are focusing our research funding on brain tumours as one of our three priority research areas.
Neurosurgeon Richard Mair at the University of Cambridge was awarded Brain Research UK funding in 2021 for research focused on blocking the progression from low-grade glioma to high-grade glioma.
As highlighted by Richard's story, there is no cure for low-grade glioma, and all patients will ultimately progress to high-grade glioma, at which point their prognosis is around two years. Patients undergo regular surveillance to detect this progression, and Mr Mair proposes that this is the perfect time during which to intervene, whilst the cancer remains low-grade rather than waiting for it to progress.
