The Wanted star Tom Parker reveals he has been diagnosed with a brain tumour
The Wanted star Tom Parker, 32, reveals he has been diagnosed with a terminal and inoperable brain tumour – and vows to ‘fight all the way’ for the sake of his pregnant wife and children
- The singer, 32, said the family were ‘devastated’ but vowed to ‘raise awareness of this terrible disease’ and ‘fight this all the way’
- Tom’s brain tumour is a grade four glioblastoma, with the singer already undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy in a bid to prolong his life
- Posting a photo with their daughter, Aurelia Rose, he wrote: ‘You know that we’ve both been quiet on social media for a few weeks and it’s time to tell you why
- ‘There’s no easy way to say this but I’ve sadly been diagnosed with a brain tumour and I’m already undergoing treatment’
- ‘We are all absolutely devastated but we are gonna fight this all the way’
- Life expectancy for this illness ranges from three months to 18 months after diagnosis
- Tom and Kelsey got engaged in 2016 and tied the knot two years later in July 2018
- They welcomed daughter Aurelia Rose in July 2019 and announced they were expecting their second child, a baby boy, in June this year
The Wanted star Tom Parker has been diagnosed with a terminal and inoperable brain tumour.
The singer, 32, who is expecting his second child with wife Kelsey, said the family were ‘devastated’ but vowed to ‘raise awareness of this terrible disease’ and ‘fight this all the way’ for the sake of his pregnant wife and their daughter.
Tom’s brain tumour is a grade four glioblastoma, with the singer already undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment in a bid to prolong his life.
Devastating: The Wanted star Tom Parker has been diagnosed with a terminal and inoperable brain tumour
Life expectancy for this illness ranges from three months to 18 months after diagnosis.
Posting a photo of the couple with their daughter, Aurelia Rose, 15 months on Monday, he wrote: ‘Hey guys, you know that we’ve both been quiet on social media for a few weeks and it’s time to tell you why.
‘There’s no easy way to say this but I’ve sadly been diagnosed with a Brain Tumour and I’m already undergoing treatment.
‘We decided, after a lot of thought, that rather than hiding away and trying to keep it a secret, we would do one interview where we could lay out all the details and let everyone know the facts in our own way.
‘We are going to beat this’: In an emotional statement Tom revealed he was undergoing treatment and vowed to beat the deadly disease
‘We are all absolutely devastated but we are gonna fight this all the way. We don’t want your sadness, we just want love and positivity and together we will raise awareness of this terrible disease and look for all available treatment options.
‘It’s gonna be a tough battle but with everyone’s love and support we are going to beat this. Tom and Kelsey xxx.’
Glioblastoma is considered the most aggressive tumor that can form in the brain. Senator John McCain was diagnosed with one in July 2017.
Growing family: The singer, 32, who is expecting his second child with wife Kelsey, said the family were ‘devastated’ but vowed to ‘raise awareness of this terrible disease’ and ‘fight this all the way’ for his pregnant wife and their daughter
Patients have a 10 percent chance of surviving five years after their diagnosis, according to figures. The average lifespan is between 14 and 16 months.
Three adults per every 100,000 will be struck down with a glioblastoma, says The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).
It is most commonly found in men aged 50 to 60, and there is no link between developing glioblastoma and having a previous history with other cancers.
Treatment is usually surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible, followed by a combination of radio- and chemotherapy (chemoradiation).
It can be difficult to remove all of the growth as glioblastomas have tendrils that extend to other regions of the brain. These are targeted via chemoradiation.
Glioblastomas are often resistant to treatment as they are usually made up of different types of cells. Therefore, medication will kill off some cells and not others.
The tumor is made up of a mass of cells growing quickly in the brain, and in most cases patients have no family history of the disease.
It won’t spread to other organs, however, once it is diagnosed, it is nearly impossible to target, surgeons claim.
Unlike other types of brain cancer which are more specifically located, glioblastoma can occur in any part of the brain.
WHAT IS A GLIOBLASTOMA AND JUST HOW DEADLY IS IT? THE AGGRESSIVE BRAIN TUMOR SUFFERED BY JOHN MCCAIN
Senator John McCain was diagnosed with a glioblastoma in July 2017
Glioblastoma is considered the most aggressive tumor that can form in the brain. Senator John McCain was diagnosed with one in July 2017.
Patients have a 10 percent chance of surviving five years after their diagnosis, according to figures. The average lifespan is between 14 and 16 months.
Three adults per every 100,000 will be struck down with a glioblastoma, says The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).
It is most commonly found in men aged 50 to 60, and there is no link between developing glioblastoma and having a previous history with other cancers.
WHAT IS THE TUMOR MADE OF?
The tumor is made up of a mass of cells growing quickly in the brain, and in most cases patients have no family history of the disease.
It won’t spread to other organs, however, once it is diagnosed, it is nearly impossible to target, surgeons claim.
Unlike other types of brain cancer which are more specifically located, glioblastoma can occur in any part of the brain.
WHAT TREATMENT IS AVAILABLE?
Because the tumor likely already spread deep into the brain by the time it is diagnosed, the cancerous tissue is incredibly difficult to remove.
Surgeon will only ever remove the tumor, or part of the tumor, if it won’t do any damage to the surrounding brain tissue.
Dr Babcar Cisse, a neurosurgeon at the Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center, told Daily Mail Online in July 2017: ‘By the time a glioblastoma is diagnosed, microfibers can spread to the rest of the brain which an MRI would not spot.
‘So even if the main tumor is removed and the patient receives radiation and chemotherapy, it will come back.’
GRADING A GLIOBLASTOMA
Brain tumors are graded from between one to four, depending on how fast they grow and how aggressive they are.
Malignant tumors are either given a high-grade three or four, while benign ones are given a lower grade one or two.
Glioblastoma is often referred to as a grade four astrocytoma – another form of brain tumor, says the AANS.
SYMPTOMS
Patients typically complain of symptoms such as confused vision, trouble with memory, dizziness and headaches.
The symptoms are somewhat nonspecific, and vary from person to person, and may not persist.
The disease is therefore impossible to diagnose based on symptoms alone.
Tom told OK! Magazine he underwent tests after he began suffering unexplained seizures, with doctors giving the family the ‘worst case scenario’ and revealing he had a grade four glioblastoma when they were on a staycation in Norwich just six weeks ago.
Tom and Kelsey got engaged in 2016 and tied the knot two years later in July 2018.
They welcomed daughter Aurelia Rose in July 2019 and announced they were expecting their second child, a baby boy, in June this year.
Tom rose to fame as a singer in boy band The Wanted in 2009, before they went on hiatus in 2014.
They released their self-titled debut album in 2010 and went on to enjoy several hits including UK chart-topping singles All Time Low and Glad You Came.
In 2013, they starred in their own reality show for the E! network called The Wanted Life, which Tom’s wife Kelsey starred in.
Produced by Ryan Seacrest – the US producer behind TV’s Keeping Up With The Kardashians – and set in the Hollywood Hills, The Wanted Life followed the band as they made their third studio album titled Word Of Mouth.
In 2014, The Wanted announced they were taking some time apart so that each member could pursue personal endeavours.
The Wanted: Tom rose to fame as a singer in boy band The Wanted in 2009, before they went on hiatus in 2014 (pictured in 2013 with L-R Nathan Sykes, Siva Kaneswaran, Max George and Jay McGuiness)
