‘Kinder’ treatment for childhood brain cancer to be offered by NHS in England

Dabrafenib with trametinib can halt growth of some tumours for more than three times as long as standard chemotherapy, study shows

The NHS is to offer children with brain tumours in England a groundbreaking new targeted drug therapy to tackle the disease – a development charities are hailing as the biggest breakthrough in decades.

Gliomas are the most common type of brain cancer in children but experts say the standard treatment of chemotherapy can be brutal and gruelling, and also carries the risk of side-effects such as weight loss, seizures and headaches.