Richard Burns

[simple]

Someone was asking about Richard Burns the other day, this just popped up on the news ticker here at work:

Former world rally champion Richard Burns is today undergoing surgery as he continues to battle a brain tumour.

Burns, the 2001 champion, passed out at the wheel of his road car on the way to the Wales Rally GB two years ago and was later diagnosed as suffering from astrocytoma, a form of brain tumour.

The 34-year-old spent a long spell in hospital having chemotherapy and radiotherapy and today goes under the knife at a top London hospital.

A statement issued on his behalf read: "Further news will be issued following todays surgery. The media, friends and fans are asked to respect the familys privacy at this time."

1109 GMT Apr 26 2005

Cheers

Richard

[adhawkins]

An update.

Andy

[mr-rad]

Best of luck to the bloke!!

[Blatman]

Hear hear. There are few things in this life that I *really really* have a deep and very real fear of. Brain tumours are one of them. I wish him, and anyone else with such an affliction all the very best for a speedy, and more importantly, a *full* recovery.

[Westy1700]

My daughter was diagnosed with cancer at age 6, two years later we're fortunate that prompt diagnosis and incredible NHS care has brought us all through it...i'm sure that as a fit guy Richard will fight this as he fought the Rally Championship and take strength from role models such as Lance Armstrong.

This b***h of a disease is beatable - Good luck Mate !!!

[Mark Stanton]

Yep - Blats has summed it up for me     its a horrible thing to happen to anyone - I always think of the old Membership Sec Carl Fantham he was only 42 and a genuine, honest and thoroughly nice guy   will always be part of "the family"    

[smithydar]

and my old man was one of the goodens too...it never stops saddening me when i think of why of all people it was him that had the brain tumour..

i can fully understand what richards family are dealing with...good luck to him and them...and hope it all goes well and we will see him once again battling that rally title.

darren

[david.c]

and take strength from role models such as Lance Armstrong.

An excellent sentiment...................reading his book brought a lump to my throat on quite a few occasions.

Lets hope Richard makes a full recovery, and returns to become a champion again    

David

[chrisbin]

Hear hear. There are few things in this life that I *really really* have a deep and very real fear of. Brain tumours are one of them. I wish him, and anyone else with such an affliction all the very best for a speedy, and more importantly, a *full* recovery.

Unfortunately due to their very nature it is rare that it is possible to operate, and consequently rare that recovery is an option....

RB would appear to be lucky in that respect, and one can only hope that his luck continues.

Unfortunately, mother-in-law is not so lucky.......

[Blatman]

Two friends of mine were equally unlucky, both of them survivng less than 8 months from diagnosis

As with most cancers, early diagnosis is important. Sadly both my friends were diagnosed as a result of neurological changes that occurred becaue the cancer was well advanced. I strongly suspect that Burns' collapse at the wheel means that the tumour he has was similarly quite advanced. It also appears to be a fairly aggressive cancer too as it has returned quite quickly despite chemo and radio therapy. I am saddened to be pessimistic about his recovery, but I *truly* hope that I am proved wrong.

Good luck Richard.

[Blatman]

A quick Google for Astrocytoma shows that surgery is actually the first option for treatment, so it may be a good thing that he's had to go under the knife. However the piece also states that chemo and radio therapy are used if surgery is not possible. The optimist in me says that now the chemo and radio thereapy has worked to reduce the tumour, the surgeon can now get in and remove it succesfully. I hope...

[chrisbin]

Not wishing to dwell on the subject, but having become reasonably well informed about it recently, the problem with Astrocytoma's is that they act rather like tree root systems, and spread similarly. The problem for operating is trying to get to it and also the risk of damaging the parts of the brain which are affected.

Having said all that, they also have different "grades" - the lower the grade the better.

Unfortunately my mother-in-law has a Grade IV, which is the worst...

[Blatman]

One of my friends had a grade 4 Oligodendroglioma (I think). Nasty doesn't even come close...

[perksy]

I hope the Lad makes a Full Recovery  

Watched Him drive from His early Peugeot Days and He's a bl**** Good Driver who's Sadly missed from the Current WRC.