A BBC journalist has opened up about the realities of living with a brain tumour.
In a new documentary airing on Wednesday, Glenn Campbell shares his journey over the past year, which includes rounds of gruelling treatment, raising money for charitable causes, and even undergoing brain surgery.
The film, titled My Brain Tumour and Me, airs on BBC One Scotland on Wednesday at 7pm and will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer afterwards.
But what do we know about Campbell and his condition?
The 48-year-old has worked for BBC Scotland since 2001, when he joined the broadcaster’s radio station.
Over the years, he moved into television, frequently covering political news (including numerous elections and Scottish independence debates), before eventually being appointed BBC Scotland’s political editor in 2021.
When and how was his brain tumour found?
The discovery of Campbell’s brain tumour came after he fell off a bike in 2023. Left with 10 broken ribs and a cut and bruised face, the journalist was treated in hospital but, shortly after leaving, suffered a seizure.
Upon returning to hospital, he was diagnosed with an oligodendroglioma brain tumour by doctors. According to Brain Tumour Research, the name refers to a “rare, slow-growing” tumour which is a form of glial cell.
This type of brain tumour forms when normal stem cells develop into glial cells (cells that hold nerve cells in place) and a tumour grows.
Is his brain tumour terminal?
In an article for the BBC, Campbell says: “After 15 months, I’m still going strong because it turns out I have a rare form of the disease, an oligodendroglioma, that tends to respond better to treatment.
“The brilliant brain surgeon Paul Brennan saved my life by chopping out most of my tumour and, with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, it seems to be keeping my cancer in check for now.
“There have been a couple of false alarms but the most recent check suggests my tumour is stable. I have no idea how long that will last,” he said.
Oligodendroglioma tumours can be fatal, however, they generally have higher survival rates than other forms of brain cancer.
What is Campbell doing now?
As his documentary shows, Campbell hasn’t let his brain tumour stop him from living his life. “The specialists are clear – they don’t want me to stop doing things,” he said. “They want to enable me to live as normally as possible.”
As well as spending time with his family and friends, Campbell’s recovery has allowed him to make a “gradual return” to work for the BBC.
Although he unsuccessfully attempted to climb a mountain in Scotland, suffering a seizure 10 minutes into the hike that called for treatment by emergency services, Campbell has still kept busy.
He has set up a fundraising community, Brain Power, to help establish a brain tumour research centre in Scotland. “I think well-resourced science can do a lot better. If not for me, for those who come after,” he said.
