Tessa Jowell receives standing ovation as she gives moving speech about brain cancer in House of Lords

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Tessa Jowell received a standing ovation in the House of Lords after making an emotional plea for more cancer treatments to be made available through the NHS.

The former Labour culture secretary, who has brain cancer, called for more opportunities for “adaptive trials” for treatments. She suggested that if one trial fails, patients could immediately move on to the next.

Baroness Jowell told peers that GBM strikes less than 3,000 people in England every year and generally has a very poor prognosis.

She added: "Less than 2 per cent of cancer research funding in the UK is spent on brain tumours. No vital new drugs have been developed in the last 50 years."

Tessa Jowell receiving a standing ovation after speaking about her fight with cancer in the House of Lords
AFP/Getty Images

Baroness Jowell, who was one of the Labour Party's best-known faces during Tony Blair's era, went on to say how she had taken solace from Irish poet Seamus Heaney.

She said: "Seamus Heaney's last words were 'do not be afraid'. I am not afraid, but I am fearful that this new and important approach may be put into the 'too difficult' box."

She added: "All we now ask is that doctors and health systems learn to do the same. Learn from each other.

"In the end, what gives a life meaning is not only how it is lived, but how it draws to a close.

"I hope this debate will give hope to other cancer patients like me. So that we can live well with cancer, not just be dying of it."

Peers stood and clapped Baroness Jowell for more than a minute after she gave a speech on the need for new cancer treatments on the NHS
AFP/Getty Images

As Baroness Jowell concluded her speech peers, members of the public and Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who was also in the chamber, rose to applaud.

The tribute is thought to be the first of its kind in the House of Lords.

Labour former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer of Thoroton paid tribute to Lady Jowell, saying she had done what everyone wanted their politicians to do in "earnestly following noble causes" and trying to make life better for others.

"Tessa has been doing that in every way on every day through years and years."

He said the last few months had not been easy for her but what shone through that time was the extent to which she had "touched other people's lives".

Labour spokeswoman Baroness Thornton said Lady Jowell was proved right time and time again when a minister and warned the Government: "They had better believe this noble lady and take what she is telling us very seriously indeed."

Health and Social Care minister Lord O'Shaughnessy hailed the "extraordinary character" Lady Jowell had shown in leading the debate, adding: "She has inspired us all and many cancer sufferers too."

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