Ex-Cabinet minister Tessa Jowell talks of brain cancer

A former Cabinet minister today bravely spoke out about being diagnosed with brain cancer – saying it has given her a ‘clear sense of purpose’ to help other patients.

Baroness Tessa Jowell, 70, called for a change in NHS rules so cancer patients are allowed to take on the risk of undergoing different innovative treatments.

She said these ‘adaptive trials’ will allow patients battling cancer to undergo different treatments which could prolong and even save their lives.

Lady Jowell, who has two children and three stepchildren, revealed she is ‘not afraid’ of her illness despite her grim prognosis.

And she has vowed to do everything she can to reform rules so more cancer patients are given a better chance of survival. 

Lady Jowell served in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and as Culture Secretary helped bring the 2012 Olympics to the UK.

Baroness Jowell (pictured during her interview) spoke out about her brain cancer diagnosis and treatment in a moving interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme

The 70-year-old (pictured  diuring her interview), who helped bring the 2012 Olympics to London, said she is 'not afraid' of the illness and had not given up fighting it despite a grim prognosis

The 70-year-old (pictured  diuring her interview), who helped bring the 2012 Olympics to London, said she is ‘not afraid’ of the illness and had not given up fighting it despite a grim prognosis

She is due to give a speech in the House of Lords later setting out the reforms she wants to see to treatment and care.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Lady Jowell said her diagnosis with a high-grade glioblastoma in May last year had come with ‘no warning’.

‘I was diagnoses with an acute and very serious form of brain cancer,’ she said.

‘I had not a single apparent symptom.’

She told presenter Nick Robinson – who was himself treated for a lung tumour in 2015 – that she had not initially realised how serious the situation was and believed she would be able to carry on with her life.

‘I don’t think I immediately leapt to the inevitability of cancer,’ Lady Tessa said. 

‘I think that to begin with I thought I would have this tumour, it would be operated on and that would be it. 

‘It is actually much harder now because now my life is day by day affected by the tumour.’

After stumbled over her words at one point she said ‘the tumour bloody well does this to you.’

Lady Jowell, who was a psychiatric social worker before entering politics, said it had not been a difficult decision to speak out about her experience and the need for change.

‘It hasn’t been a difficult decision at all because this is something that I feel a tremendous sense of mission about,’ she said.

She said one of the key changes she wanted was to medical research, so that patients had more scope to take risks in search of an effective treatment. 

So-called ‘adaptive’ trials can start with one means of treatment and then develop to include others depending on how successful the process is being.

‘The important fact about an adaptive trial is that it can start, not achieve what you want and then move on to the next version,’ she said.

Food blogger Ella Mills, Baroness Jowell's daughter-in-law, posted a tribute to the politician after her appearance on the Today programme

Food blogger Ella Mills, Baroness Jowell’s daughter-in-law, posted a tribute to the politician after her appearance on the Today programme

Lady Jowell (pictured iwth her family), thanked her many well-wishers for their support and vowed to change the system so cancer patients had more options about treatment

Lady Jowell (pictured iwth her family), thanked her many well-wishers for their support and vowed to change the system so cancer patients had more options about treatment

‘That is how we get the pace of change happening very quickly.’

She added: ‘That is exactly the kind of risk patients should be able to take.’

Lady Jowell said she had been to Germany looking at trying a new immunotherapy, and vowed to keep looking for new ways of tackling the cancer.

‘I got to the point in the NHS in London where I couldn’t be given any more treatment but it was very clear that if I went to Germany then I had a chance of taking out this immunotherapy – a new experiment,’ she said.

‘And I was and I am prepared to try that.’

She is due to quote Irish poet Seamus Heaney in her speech to the Lords, saying ‘I am not afraid’.

‘I was deeply touched by Seamus Heaney’s last words when he said do not be afraid,’ she said. 

‘I am not afraid. I feel very clear about my sense of purpose and what I want to do.

‘And how do I know how long it is going to last? 

Lady Jowell (pictured front right) watches the action with Tony and Cherie Blair at the Olympic Velodrome in 2012

Lady Jowell (pictured front right) watches the action with Tony and Cherie Blair at the Olympic Velodrome in 2012

Lady Jowell pictured with Tony Blair in 2005. She served as Culture Secretary under the Labour Prime Minister

Lady Jowell pictured with Tony Blair in 2005. She served as Culture Secretary under the Labour Prime Minister

‘I am certainly going to do everything I can to make it a very long time.’ 

Lady Jowell revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer on her 70th birthday in September.

She said she had received around 2,500 letters from well-wishers since then. 

‘I have so much love in my family, my children, my close friends it’s the most extraordinary, blessed and recreating sense and I feel that I want that to be experienced by so many other people as well,’ she said.

Lady Jowell’s daughter-in-law, the food blogger Ella Mills, posted a tribute to the politician after her appearance on Today. 

She said the family were ‘proud’ of the way Lady Jowell had spoken about her experience and was focused on ‘helping other people’.  

 



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