Chingford man, 21, who’s had leukaemia four times told he has incurable brain tumour

Conor Harding has been battling cancer for most of his life

A 21-year-old who was diagnosed with leukaemia four times has been told he has an incurable brain tumour. Conor Harding, from Chingford, has been repeatedly impacted by cancer – he received his first leukaemia diagnosis when he was five years old.

After being cancer-free for more than four years, Conor was diagnosed with a glioblastoma in September 2025 after experiencing persistent headaches. He was told the condition is life-limiting.

Conor said: “I’m 21 and I’ve spent half my life battling cancer. I’d never got to a point where I thought cancer was a thing of the past, but I had got to a point where I actually felt healthy for once. I had a four-year period of feeling good. I was just living life like a normal teenager should be – playing rugby, going out with my mates and building close friendships – but then I went downhill.

“After being diagnosed with glioblastoma, the consultant said it will probably be the reason I pass. That was really hard to hear, but I think it was harder on mum and dad.

“I’ve just got to be strong for my family and those around me. I struggled a bit when I was first diagnosed with leukaemia, but by the third and fourth time, it was different, because there was hope that I could get better. But there is no cure for glioblastoma.”

Conor and his family are working with the charity Brain Tumour Research during Glioblastoma Awareness Week – July 13 to 19 – to campaign for greater investment in research to bring parity with survival rates of other cancers.

Every year, around 3,200 people in the UK are diagnosed with a glioblastoma. Just one third of those diagnosed with a glioblastoma will survive beyond a year. Just 4% of those diagnosed will survive five years or more. The average survival for someone diagnosed with glioblastoma is 12-18 months. There is no cure for this aggressive type of brain cancer and treatments have not improved in more than 20 years.

In the 1970s, the 10-year survival rates for brain tumour and leukaemia were comparable and woefully low at seven and nine per cent respectively. Since then, 10-year survival rates for leukaemia have increased to nearly 50% thanks to research investment, while sadly brain tumour survival rates are still below 20%.

Trevor, a client executive for an investment bank, said: “Being told that Conor’s condition was life-limiting was devastating. I can’t comprehend it. We’ve been on this journey so often, but now it feels final. We know there isn’t going to be a positive outcome here, that Conor unfortunately is going to lose his life to this, and I think that’s really hard to bear.”

After his fourth leukaemia diagnosis, Conor had a bone marrow transplant. He then had a four-and-a-half-year period of being cancer-free and started an apprenticeship as a bricklayer.

After Conor’s shock brain tumour diagnosis in September 2025, he underwent surgery – which required 65 staples – followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Conor’s most recent MRI scan, in February, showed three tumours had grown back.

In April, Trevor ran the London Marathon, raising more than £17,000 for Brain Tumour Research. He plans to run two more marathons in 2026.

Trevor said: “I think it’s shocking, that with the medical advances that have been made for other diseases, we haven’t made more progress with brain tumours. What astounded me when I started looking into this is that brain tumours continue to kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.

“That, for me, was eye-opening. That’s why I’ll do whatever I can to help fund the vital research taking place at the Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence. People facing this diagnosis deserve so much better.”

Research funded by Brain Tumour Research is giving families affected by glioblastoma hope. Its scientists are working at the cutting edge of research to uncover new knowledge about glioblastoma, find new, more effective treatments, and ultimately get closer to a cure for this devastating disease.

The Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London has developed a world-leading platform to compare glioblastoma stem cells and healthy brain stem cells from the same patient. This allows researchers find out what drives an individual patient’s tumour to grow and if this can be targeted with treatments – the first step in personalised treatment for glioblastoma.

Dr Karen Noble, director of research and policy at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Comparing the survival rates of people with leukaemia and those with brain tumours is a stark illustration of the need for more research into brain tumours. Conor’s story reflects the devastating reality faced by so many families across the UK.

“We are calling on the Government to increase the national investment in research into brain tumours, including glioblastoma. We need to also see an increase in the number of clinical trials, and access to them, in the UK, and we want to end inequalities in access to whole genome sequencing that could inform access to trials and emerging treatments.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure.

The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers, such as breast cancer and leukaemia. For more information and to donate to the Glioblastoma Awareness Week Appeal.