Archie Goodburn meets prime minister over cancer funding

‘Give us a chance to fight’

The Scottish swimmer made the appeal during an appearance on BBC Breakfast in August, calling on the government to appoint a national lead for brain cancer and improve access to clinical trials. 

He highlighted that some trials available in the United States, Australia and China are not accessible to patients in the UK.

“Please establish a national brain cancer lead and give us a chance to fight for our lives,” Goodburn told viewers.

He became tearful as he explained that he was also speaking up for friends and other families affected by the disease.

“I'm on my knees begging for — not just my own life — but for those of my best friends and those that are affected and the families around the country.”

The prime minister contacted Goodburn after the broadcast and invited him to meet, saying he wanted to hear about the swimmer’s experiences and concerns directly. 

Their meeting is now scheduled for today, 14 October.

Goodburn hopes to transform brain cancer care after diagnosis

Goodburn’s appeal comes after his own diagnosis changed his life. He was training for the 2024 Olympic trials when seizures and numbness led doctors to discover three oligodendrogliomas, a rare type of cancer affecting the brain and spinal cord. 

Surgery was not possible, so he received chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Despite his diagnosis, he continued to compete and reached the 50m breaststroke final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last year.

The meeting will give Goodburn an opportunity to raise his concerns directly with the prime minister and push for changes to brain cancer research and treatment in the UK.