Brain cancer: Why patient survival rates have barely changed in three decades

By Beau Donelly
Updated December 11 2016 - 2:14am, first published 12:15am
A federal Senate committee is investigating funding for research into cancers with low survival rates, with a focus on brain cancers. Photo: Jessica Shapiro
A federal Senate committee is investigating funding for research into cancers with low survival rates, with a focus on brain cancers. Photo: Jessica Shapiro
Jacqui and Kevin Dyt with their son Curtis. Photo: Paul Jeffers
Jacqui and Kevin Dyt with their son Curtis. Photo: Paul Jeffers

Just before Curtis Dyt turned five, he started to change. At first it was small things only a parent would notice: he couldn't climb as well as he used to, he was walking differently. Then, the little boy who had hit every milestone along with his twin sister, Jasmine, seemed to be getting weaker. His right eye turned inwards, his mouth started to droop, partial paralysis set in on one arm. At 9pm every night he would scream in pain, but he didn't have the words to explain what was wrong.

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