Swimmer Archie Goodburn Challenges Rare Cancers Bill
Commonwealth Games athlete, diagnosed with incurable brain cancer, argues new legislation falls short for patients.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Carla Rooney
Archie Goodburn, a Commonwealth Games swimmer, has publicly challenged the efficacy of the recently passed Rare Cancers Bill.
Clinical trials worldwide, spanning the US, Australia, and China, offer life-altering potential. These critical advancements remain unseen in the UK, Goodburn declared.
Goodburn stated, "There are clinical trials around the world, in the US, in Australia, in China, that could change lives. We are not seeing them in the UK and it is unfair and unjust."
I partly feel like why we hear so much about brain cancer and why the awareness is so poor is because patients unfortunately die so quickly.
The Rare Cancers Bill does not go far enough for brain cancer patients, Goodburn further claims. Awareness of the disease remains poor because patients die so quickly.
Goodburn explained, "I partly feel like why we hear so much about brain cancer and why the awareness is so poor is because patients unfortunately die so quickly."
The bill's provision for two part-time roles across 14 cancer types, totaling 36 days a year, is insufficient. Goodburn stated, "I do not see how 36 days a year is going to make that change for 14 different types of cancers, let alone the most deadly type of cancer."
Despite the passage of the Rare Cancers Bill, Goodburn maintains it is not enough to make the necessary changes for brain cancer treatment. Goodburn appealed directly to Andy Burnham, saying, "Andy Burnham, if you believe and want to make a change and a difference to the future of our country and our young population, please listen to us."
Goodburn concluded, "Yes it's rare, but it's extremely deadly. This frustrates me immensely."