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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Jamie Roberts

Nick Cannon explains why he turned down chemotherapy treatment for late son Zen

Nick Cannon has revealed why he and Alyssa Scott opted against chemo treatment for late son Zen last year.

The tot tragically lost his life at just five months old on December 5 last year. And now presenter Nick has candidly spoke about the decision to decline the option of chemo.

Nick, 42, is expecting his 12th child, and said doctors told him that chemotherapy would "not really" help the youngster to live much longer or any more comfortably due to the positioning of the tumour.

Speaking on The Checkup with Dr. David Agus on Paramount+, Nick discussed what he was told would be the best options for his son in the wake of the diagnosis of an aggressive brain cancer, high-grade glioma.

Nick's son Zen died last year from brain cancer (Alyssa Scott/Instagram)

He said: "Seeing your son hooked up to all of those machines - and he had to go for a shunt two or three times, and that was heartbreaking every time - even in that short amount of time, I couldn't imagine him having to go through chemo."

Nick went on to discuss how his own chemo treatment for lupus had affected him, meaning he couldn't put the youngster through it.

"I knew how as a full grown man, that process ... my hair was falling out," he said. "I wouldn't even call it pain; it just sucked everything out of you. I couldn't imagine that on a new born and what that would do."

The host of the US version of the Masked Singer then revealed his son would have had to spend the rest of his time in hospital if he had undergone the treatment, meaning he "would have never gone home".

Nick revealed he thought it was best for the tot to enjoy his parents (Getty Images)

He added: "From that point, [doctors] pretty much told me that best case scenario, your son could live to three or four years old. So instantly when I heard that, I thought quality of life. I wanted him to have the best existence he could have."

He revealed he thought the best plan of action was to enjoy his child's life, and to let the tot enjoy being with his parents too.

Nick then heaped the praise on Alyssa for the strength and resilience she showed through the tough final days.

Nick and Alyssa announced last month they are expecting another child together (Getty)

Nick and Alyssa are currently expecting another child - Nick's 12th. He is already a dad to Mariah Carey's twins Monroe and Moroccan, 11, as well as sons Golden, five, and Rise, three months, and daughter Powerful, two, with Brittany Bell.

He's also father to twin sons Zion and Zillion, one, and daughter Beautiful, one month, with Abby De La Rosa, while fathering a son called Legendary, five months, with Bre Tiesi. And he is dad to daughter Onyx, three months, with LaNisha Cole.

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