Earlier diagnosis of patients with brain tumour

This editorial outlines the recent expert recommendations for general practitioners on the early identification and referral of patients with possible brain tumours. Adults with progressive, subacute loss of central neurological function clearly need direct access to neuroimaging to assess for brain or central nervous system cancer. In the UK, since 2015 this has been recommended to be performed within 2 weeks of referral.1 However, we aim to raise awareness of the key diagnostic challenges in primary care because previous guidelines have not prioritised the importance of dual symptoms—such as headache and cognitive or personality change—which neurologists recognise as important when weighing up the likelihood of an intracranial cause.