'I thought it was perimenopause but it was incurable cancer'

A mum who put memory problems, brain fog and irritability down to perimenopause was devastated to learn she had an incurable brain tumour.

Jane Roberts, 47, from North Somerset, sought medical advice after noticing changes to her memory and concentration. Instead of confirming hormonal changes, scans revealed abnormalities on her brain.

The tumour is inoperable and Roberts now undergoes scans every six months. She has since raised almost £25,000 for charity and is calling for greater investment in brain tumour research.

The Department of Health and Social Care previously said it was establishing a national Brain Tumour Research Consortium and investing £13.7m in research.

"I started to definitely feel like my memory wasn't as good and a bit more brain foggy. I felt itchy and irritable," Roberts said.

"I was 46 at the time, I just thought it was time."

But the doctors ruled out perimenopause and sent her for a CT scan thinking she had early onset dementia and called her back to give her entirely different news.

"I was quite calm. Just before I went in it just felt like there was a seismic change in me - it felt like I was going to have a massive change in my life.

"That's when she said they found abnormalities on my brain and thought it was cancer. I couldn't believe it."

Roberts explained the location of the tumour makes it inoperable and taking a biopsy a risk.

She now has scans every six months to check for any changes.

"I've been told its incurable," Roberts explained.

"I'm a mum and I'm a wife, I've got a job and a life - at the moment I can't give up. I went into fight mode."

She has since run a half marathon dressed as a brain, raised nearly £25,000 for charity and organised various fundraising events.

The Brain Tumour Charity says brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40, external, yet account for just 1% of cancer research funding.

In June, Roberts joined hundreds of other campaigners at a discussion in parliament in support of a petition demanding more funding for brain cancer research.

The e-petition attracted more than 100,000 signatures.

"Around 70% of the funding that comes in to brain tumour research comes from charities rather than the government, it all comes down to money," Roberts added.

The Department of Health and Social Care said: "We understand that more needs to be done to boost research into brain tumours.... Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years, including for brain cancer".

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