Cancer affects millions of families across the United Kingdom. But for many diagnosed with rarer and less survivable forms of the disease, the future can feel especially uncertain. For Mike Wood MP, improving outcomes for people living with cancer is not just a political priority, it's personal.
In March 2025, Mike Wood stood in the House of Commons during Second Reading of the Rare Cancers Bill to speak about the devastating impact of brain cancer on someone close to him — his long-time Senior Parliamentary Assistant, Dan Horrocks. Dan has battled brain cancer on three separate occasions, including undergoing radiotherapy treatment earlier in the year. Mr Wood spoke with raw honesty about the emotional toll of watching a friend and colleague fight this relentless disease and why the status quo in cancer research and treatment was simply not good enough.
In his speech, he highlighted that survival rates for aggressive brain tumours like glioblastoma have barely improved in decades, with only a fraction of patients living beyond five years after diagnosis. Behind those statistics are real people; parents, partners, friends, and colleagues whose lives are being cut short because scientific advances and access to innovative treatments are lagging for many rarer cancers.
This personal experience has fuelled Mr Wood’s unwavering support for the Rare Cancers Bill - a piece of legislation designed to improve research, streamline clinical trial access and ultimately save lives. Over the course of 2025, he backed the Bill through Second Reading, the Committee Stage and Third Reading in the House of Commons, working with colleagues across parties and with cancer charities to ensure it progressed. The Bill has been widely described by campaign groups - including the Brain Tumour Charity - as “a Bill of hope” for patients and families affected by rare cancers.
A key aim of this legislation is to remove barriers that prevent research into rare cancers from advancing as quickly as possible, such as administrative hurdles around clinical trials and the lack of dedicated focus on less common conditions. This matters because nearly half of all cancer diagnoses in the UK are classified as rare or less common, yet they receive a disproportionately small share of research attention and funding.
Mr Wood’s commitment extends beyond the Commons chamber. Over the last year he has actively participated in events and outreach hosted by organisations such as Cancer52 and Cancer Research UK, bringing the voices of patients and families into wider discussions about survival, treatment access and innovation. At these events he has championed greater collaboration between Government, researchers and the voluntary sector to ensure that those facing rarer cancers are not left behind.
In addition to his work on the Rare Cancers Bill, Mr Wood helped secure a Backbench Business Debate focused on increasing survival rates for brain tumours — another opportunity in Parliament to raise awareness of the unique challenges faced by patients, clinicians and researchers in this field. This debate brought attention to the urgency of improving early diagnosis, expanding trial opportunities and investing in the science that could drive breakthroughs for some of the most aggressive forms of cancer.
For Mike Wood, this is more than policy - it is a mission to ensure that future generations have better odds and better support. Whether in the Chamber, at constituency events, or alongside cancer groups advocating for change, he continues to press for solutions that will give people more time with their loved ones, more treatment options, and more reason to hope.
