Jeremy Hunt’s younger brother has died from an “aggressive” form of cancer aged 53.
Charlie Hunt, a father of three, died peacefully on 2 August, his family said in a statement to The Daily Telegraph.
The chancellor spoke last month about how the disease had hit his family, with his sibling having been diagnosed with sarcoma in 2020.
The former health secretary and his younger brother ran the London Marathon in October last year to raise money for Sarcoma UK and the Royal Surrey Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre, a new facility being built in Guildford.
Mr Hunt, whose parents also died of the disease, said he was diagnosed with cancer himself but it was caught early after he discovered a mole on his head.
He said cancer had been “life changing” for his family, telling the Daily Mail: “I had superb treatment from the NHS to remove it, but I am very aware of members of my own family who have had much tougher battles against cancer, and I know that’s what families are going through up and down the country.”
Sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that typically begins in the bones or soft tissue.
Charlie Hunt revealed on his JustGiving page in October he had been diagnosed with the “particularly aggressive cancer” in 2020 and the disease had left him needing surgery on his right leg.
He said he did not know if he would ever run or walk again and “since then the battle has continued with surgery on both of my lungs”.
He wrote on the fundraising page: “I have been in and out of hospital pretty constantly but have received excellent treatment from the NHS and am still fighting on nearly three years later.
“It does, however, remain a huge battle for me and my family. I asked Jeremy to run the marathon for the first time with me – an offer that was nervously accepted.”
The Hunts raised more than £22,000 for Sarcoma UK and the Royal Surrey Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre running the marathon together.
Mr Hunt’s father, Sir Nicholas Hunt, died in 2013 aged 82, while his mother Lady Meriel Hunt died aged 84 last year – both due to cancer.
