Archie Goodburn, a 25-year-old Scottish swimmer diagnosed with inoperable brain tumours two years ago, has publicly urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to increase funding and resources for brain cancer research. Speaking at the Commonwealth Games and on BBC Breakfast, he called for a national brain cancer lead and criticised the Rare Cancers Bill for allocating only two part-time roles that total 36 days a year across 14 cancer types. Goodburn warned that promising trials abroad are often not accessible to UK patients and vowed to keep campaigning to improve outcomes for younger sufferers.
“Give Us A Chance To Fight”: Archie Goodburn Urges Prime Minister for Urgent Brain Cancer Funding
'Give us a chance to fight for our lives' - Goodburn asks PM for more cancer funding
Tears streamed down Archie Goodburn’s face as the 25-year-old Scottish swimmer made a heartfelt public appeal to Prime Minister Andy Burnham for more funding and resources for brain cancer research. Diagnosed with inoperable brain tumours just over two years ago, Goodburn used the platform of the Commonwealth Games and a BBC Breakfast interview to call for urgent action.
A Personal Plea on a Public Stage
Speaking after reaching the 50m breaststroke final in Glasgow, Goodburn urged Downing Street to establish a national brain cancer lead and expand access to treatment and trials for UK patients.
“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 said. “Please establish a national brain cancer lead and give us a chance to fight for our lives. The things that patients are going through out there are unbelievable and so unjust.”
Concerns About the Rare Cancers Bill
Goodburn welcomed movement on rare cancers but criticised the government’s response as insufficient. He highlighted that the recently passed Rare Cancers Bill—led by Scott Arthur MP—creates two new roles (a clinical lead and a research lead) that are shared across 14 cancer types and amount to just 36 days of combined work per year.
“Yes it’s rare, but it’s extremely deadly,” Goodburn said. “There’s two roles to cover 14 different types of cancer and change the landscape of treatment. I do not see how 36 days a year is going to make that change, let alone for the most deadly type of cancer.”
Trials Abroad, Patients At Home
Goodburn warned that promising clinical trials taking place in the US, Australia and China are often not accessible to patients in the UK, limiting opportunities for potentially life‑changing treatments.
From Athlete To Advocate
Despite missing the medal he hoped for, Goodburn received widespread support from the home crowd and has turned his slightly extended prognosis into a campaign for change. He acknowledged the role of past medical advances in allowing him to compete, and said he will continue to advocate for faster progress and broader access to clinical research.
“I’m on my knees begging for—not just my own life—but for those of my best friends and the families around the country. This has to change. The suffering is unbearable.”
Goodburn’s appeal combines personal urgency with concrete policy asks: a national brain cancer lead, better funding for research, and improved access to international trials for UK patients.
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