THE IBTA STORY

The IBTA was established in May 2005, the outcome of a multi-stakeholder meeting and agreement at the World Federation of Neuro Oncology conference held in Edinburgh, UK. This inaugural meeting brought together fifty people from eleven nations with a shared passion for advocating for the best possible treatments, information, support and quality of life for people with brain tumours and their families, wherever they lived in the world.

Upon the IBTA’s incorporation as a not-for-profit, limited liability company, Denis Strangman (Canberra, Australia) was appointed Chair and Co-Director and Kathy Oliver (Tadworth, Surrey, UK) was appointed Secretary and Co-Director. In June 2014, after nine years as IBTA’s Chair, Denis Strangman retired and was succeeded as Chair by Kathy Oliver. Gordon Oliver (Tadworth, Surrey, UK) was appointed Co-Director.

During the nearly 20 years since its establishment the IBTA has become well known and highly regarded across the global brain tumour community for its achievements, knowledge and integrity amongst patient groups, clinicians, researchers, allied healthcare professionals, medical societies, regulators and other stakeholders.

Today, the IBTA reaches out to people in 109 countries whose lives have been touched by a brain tumour. Our work encompasses a wide range of initiatives and projects focussing on such topics as patients’ rights, quality of life, clinical trials, cancer inequalities, educational programmes, health literacy, brain metastases, the challenges of rare cancers, helping Ukrainian patients with brain tumours, the effects of COVID-19 on our international community and many other subjects of importance to brain tumour patients and their families.

Our mission is to advocate for the best treatments, information, support and quality of life for brain tumour patients offering them, their families and carers hope – wherever they live in the world.