YOUNG people are dying of a little know known cancer, a charity has revealed.

Brain Tumour Research has published its National Research Funding Report which shows brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer – but less than 10 per cent of the population are aware of this.

The charity says this hits funding available for research into finding more effective treatments and ultimately a cure and in turn means that survival rates for brain tumour patients remain very low, particularly when compared with other cancers.

A couple who lost their daughter to a brain tumour have welcomed the report tackling underfunding of the disease.

Amanda Hilton was just 39 when she died, five months after being diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive and common type of brain tumour.

Ms Hilton’s parents Ray and Sue Hilton, from Benfleet, were among an army of activists from across the UK who worked with the charity to shine a light on the issues around brain tumours at Westminster.

They were among those who also contributed to a web thread set up by the House of Commons Petitions Committee. The huge number of responses prompted an inquiry and the subsequent report which found that successive governments had failed brain tumour patients and their families for decades.

Ray Hilton said: “My daughter was diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma in June 2010. Despite the best medical treatment available she died just five months later at the age of 39 years.

“She left two children aged three and five years old. It was such a shock to learn that after apparently successful surgery to remove the tumour, that the biopsy of it revealed her life expectancy would be very short, which sadly proved to be correct.”

Mr Hilton He added: “Great advances have been made in the detection and treatment of most cancers over recent years, yet brain cancer treatment and research seems to be stuck in the past.

“There needs to be more funding from central government, because despite all the good will from charity and organisations like Brain Tumour Research and its members, we need to entice talented researchers into this field.

“Only then will we start to beat this terrible disease that kills more under 40’s then than any other cancer.”

A mum who lost her son to a brain tumour has welcomed the report.

Danny Green, from Canvey, was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma grade four brain tumour in November 2011. He died in 2012. His parents Lisa and Chris were also among those supporting the report at Westminster.

Mrs Green, of Hallet Road, Canvey, said: “Our lives were devastated when our 10-year-old son was diagnosed with medulloblastoma brain tumour after initially being diagnosed by our local hospital with a migraine. Having been admitted to hospital our son suffered severe sickness and violent headaches for a week prior to his diagnosis.

“Tragically, the treatment was so toxic it destroyed his lungs and devastatingly after a courageous 10-month battle our son sadly lost his fight for life. Our son will always be a missing part from our lives.”

Calling for more funding for brain tumour research, Mrs Green added: “We need to fund a cure.”

Mr and Mrs Green attended Speaker’s House earlier this year when a cheque was presented to Brain Tumour Research to help fund research at one of the charity’s centres.

Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris took over as chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on brain tumours in May 2015

She said: “The impact of this devastating disease on the youngest of lives continues to hit all our communities.

“As a consequence of the historical underfunding of brain tumour research, more children and adults under the age 40 die of a brain tumour than any other cancer.

“More funding into brain tumour research will undoubtedly take us nearer to a cure and save lives in the future.

“My constituents Lisa and Chris Green are all too aware of the devastating impact of this disease following the loss of their 10-year-old son Danny.”