Tom Parker self-diagnosed deadly cancer due to Covid restrictions

Tom Parker of Wanted took the diagnosis of terminal brain cancer on his own due to Covid restrictions.

The pop star and father of two died yesterday at the age of 33 after an 18-month battle with the disease.

In September 2020, six weeks after she had a seizure, she was told she had stage four glioblastoma.

Due to the pandemic rules in effect at the time, his then-pregnant wife and daughter were unable to stay with him when he was diagnosed with heartbreak at a Norwich hospital.

Tom has been on the NHS waiting list for an MRI since July after suffering unexplained seizures.

Charities today said there was nothing more healthcare could do as the standard of treatment would remain the same even if Tom had been previously diagnosed.

Tom, who also receives private care in addition to the chemotherapy and radiotherapy offered by the healthcare service, turned down the options offered on the NHS last year.

He said: ‘I don’t want to walk around the bush on the NHS. i think they were great

“But I think a major improvement is needed in the treatment of brain tumors.”

Glioblastoma has a poor prognosis, and patients usually only live 12 to 18 months after diagnosis. This is partly due to the rate at which the cancer spreads, but also to the lack of treatments that can successfully fight the cancer.

Lawmakers today called on the government to increase funding to improve brain cancer treatment and diagnosis.

Tom, who also receives private care in addition to the chemotherapy and radiotherapy offered by the healthcare service, slammed the options available on the NHS last year.

Tom said he hopes to help raise treatment and research funding by talking about his own experience. Last October, she made her debut in seven years with The Wanted at a star-studded benefit concert at the Royal Albert Hall (pictured) for brain cancer research.

Tom suffered convulsions in July 2020 and was placed on a waiting list for an MRI by the NHS.

He suffered his most severe attack six weeks later on a family trip to Norwich and was hospitalized.

Tom spent three days in the hospital and was not allowed to be with his wife Kelsey or younger daughter Aurelia due to the Covid measures in place at the time.

The boy band member was alone when he received the news that his brain tumor was inoperable and fatal.

Tom and his wife announced their diagnosis on October 12, 2020, to fans saying they were “totally devastated” but promised to “fight to the end”.

By this time, she had begun chemotherapy and radiotherapy to reduce the cancer and slow its spread.

GBM patients receive the chemotherapy drug temozolomide as standard of care in the NHS. The treatment has not changed for nearly 20 years.

Hugh Adams, spokesman for the charity Brain Tumor Research, told MailOnline that even if Mr. Parker was diagnosed earlier, the standard of treatment would remain the same.

He said: “It’s impossible to predict what would have happened if Tom had been scanned first.

“Even if he had been screened and diagnosed earlier, the standard of care would have remained the same.

The sad truth is that treatment options for patients have not changed in decades, and this is due to a lack of investment in research funding.

“Without sufficient investment, we will continue to lose young people from this cruel disease,” he said.

In October last year, Tom said he was shocked by the lack of investment in GMB treatment in the UK.

He said the research was underfunded and needed a “major improvement” in the treatment of brain tumors.

In addition to radiation and chemotherapy, patients sometimes have surgery to remove tumors or steroids and medications to manage their symptoms.

But last October, Parker told the Chat2Amani podcast, “There has to be a better answer than that.”

Last month, Tom allegedly received “revolutionary” treatment for a week in Spain.

Her treatment abroad allegedly included an oxygen machine, massage and a special diet.

Funding for brain cancer research in the UK has increased from £4m in 2010 to £15m in 2020.

However, according to the National Cancer Research Institute, this represents only 2% of all cancer research spending in the UK.

Tom said he hopes to help raise treatment and research funding by talking about his own experience.

Last October, she made her first appearance in seven years with The Wanted at a star-studded benefit concert for brain cancer research at the Royal Albert Hall.

Tom wondered how a Covid vaccine was developed within a year, but some chemotherapy drugs used for brain tumor patients had not changed in 20 years.

In November 2021, the star announced in an Instagram post that her brain tumor was “under control.”

Although a scan showed the tumor was “stable” and not progressing, this did not mean it was cancer-free.

Earlier this month, a photo shared by bandmates showed the band in a wheelchair backstage of their UK tour after the star had weakened to the point of being too weak to stand.

Lawmakers today urged No10 to increase NHS spending to improve outcomes for patients.

Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Daisy Cooper told MailOnline: “I was deeply saddened to learn that Tom Parker sadly passed away yesterday and my thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

“I’ve never met Tom, but I’m impressed that he boldly uses his platform to raise vital awareness about brain tumors despite his own diagnosis and treatment.

“It is clear that the government can and should do more, and I urge them to act now – even by taking the NHS staff crisis seriously – so that fewer families experience the early loss of loved ones.”

Glioblastoma consists of cells called astrocytes that support nerve cells and are usually spread deep into the brain at the time of diagnosis.

Like many brain tumors, scientists do not know what causes the cancer, and in most cases, patients have no family history of the disease.

In 2018, former Labor MP Tessa Jowell died after a battle with glioblastoma, and former US Senator John McCain succumbed to cancer in 2017.

It can be fatal by completely shutting down the brain or putting pressure on the brain stem, which controls breathing and heart rate.