‘I’d had cancer 4 times by 21 and now a brain tumour is going to kill me’

A 21-year-old man who battled leukaemia on four separate occasions has now received the devastating news that he has an incurable brain tumour. Conor Harding, from Chingford, has faced a relentless fight against cancer throughout his life – receiving his first leukaemia diagnosis at just five years old.

Having remained cancer-free for over four years, Conor was diagnosed with a glioblastoma in September 2025 after suffering from persistent headaches. He was informed that 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.

“After being diagnosed with glioblastoma, the consultant said it will probably be the reason I pass. That was really hard to hear, but I think it was harder on mum and dad.

“I’ve just got to be strong for my family and those around me. I struggled a bit when I was first diagnosed with leukaemia, but by the third and fourth time, it was different, because there was hope that I could get better. But there is no cure for glioblastoma.”

Conor and his family are joining forces with the charity Brain Tumour Research during Glioblastoma Awareness Week – July 13 to 19 – to push for increased investment in research to achieve parity with survival rates of other cancers.

Each year, approximately 3,200 people across the UK receive a glioblastoma diagnosis. Just one third of those diagnosed with a glioblastoma will survive beyond a year.

Just 4% of those diagnosed will survive five years or more. The average survival for someone diagnosed with glioblastoma is 12-18 months. There is no cure for this aggressive type of brain cancer and treatments have not improved in more than 20 years.

During the 1970s, the 10-year survival rates for brain tumours and leukaemia were broadly comparable and desperately low at seven and nine per cent respectively. Since that time, 10-year survival rates for leukaemia have soared to nearly 50% owing to research funding, while brain tumour survival rates remain tragically below 20%.

Trevor, a client executive for an investment bank, said: “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. We know there isn’t going to be a positive outcome here, that Conor unfortunately is going to lose his life to this, and I think that’s really hard to bear.”

Following his fourth leukaemia diagnosis, Conor underwent a bone marrow transplant, after which he enjoyed a four-and-a-half-year period free of cancer and embarked on an apprenticeship as a bricklayer.

When Conor received a devastating brain tumour diagnosis in September 2025, he faced surgery requiring 65 staples, followed by courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. His most recent MRI scan, carried out in February, revealed that three tumours had returned. In April, Trevor took on the London Marathon, raising in excess of £17,000 for Brain Tumour Research, with two further marathons planned for 2026.

Trevor 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.

“That, for me, was eye-opening. That’s why I’ll do whatever I can to help fund the vital research taking place at the Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence. People facing this diagnosis deserve so much better.”

Research supported by Brain Tumour Research is providing hope to families affected by glioblastoma. Its scientists are operating at the forefront of research to discover new understanding about glioblastoma, identify innovative, more effective treatments, and ultimately move closer to finding a cure for this devastating disease.

The Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London has created a world-leading platform to compare glioblastoma stem cells and healthy brain stem cells from the same patient. This enables researchers to determine what causes an individual patient’s tumour to develop and whether this can be targeted with treatments – the first step towards personalised treatment for glioblastoma.

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.”

Brain Tumour Research finances ongoing research at specialist centres across the UK. It also lobbies for the Government and major cancer charities to allocate more funding towards brain tumour research to accelerate new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to discover a cure.

The charity is the principal advocate behind the demand for a national annual investment of £35 million to enhance survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers, such as breast cancer and leukaemia. For more information and to donate to the Glioblastoma Awareness Week Appeal.