THE wife of a man who was killed by a brain tumour has helped launch a new inquiry at Westminster into the economic and social impacts of the terminal condition.

Sophie Oldacres, of Oaklands, Chippenham, whose husband and father-of-two Simon died in December 2016, joined other families, patients, campaigners and charity workers at the House of Commons to launch the new Brain Tumour Research inquiry.

The university worker, who cycled 200km last year to raise money in memory of her husband, was one of the first to be invited to talk about her experience.

“It is impossible to fully understand the impact a brain tumour diagnosis has on your family unless you’ve been personally affected,” the 38-year-old said. “We were ‘lucky’ in that Simon lived for three-and-a-half years after diagnosis, recovered quickly from surgeries and was able to withstand every treatment given to him, even often cycling the 60 miles to radiotherapy appointments in Bristol and back.

“But we knew all along that the diagnosis was terminal, and bearing that was horrendous.

“I lost my husband far too young, and Joseph and Esther - who were just seven and five when Simon died - lost a devoted daddy.”

The lack of investment into brain tumours, meaning treatments and survival rates lag significantly behind other cancers, has become a high-profile political issue and a working group has recently recommended a £45m investment into research.

Sue Farrington Smith, chief executive of Brain Tumour Research, said: “Brain tumours have been a neglected form of cancer for decades. This inquiry will shine a light on the social and economic impacts of brain tumours, adding weight to our arguments and a huge urgency to our call for further funding”

To take part visit www.braintumourresearch.org/campaigning/inquiry before March 30.