<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0a42NC_0uyYvxfP00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0a42NC_0uyYvxfP00" width="1071" height="602" > Family handout <figcaption>Zac Staples had an embryonal tumour with multi-layered rosettes in his brain </figcaption></figure> A couple whose four-year old son died of a rare brain tumour are calling for "kinder" treatments for children with cancer. Zac Staples, from Gravesend, Kent, was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer in March 2021. He died on 12 April, 2022, after undergoing three operations, six weeks of proton beam therapy and intense rounds of high-dose chemotherapy. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Luke Staples, the child's father, said: "We hope research will mean that families don't have to go through what we did." During Zac's treatment for an embryonal tumour with multi-layered rosettes, his family were told that the proton beam therapy meant he would be unlikely to ever live independently had he survived. "And chemotherapy made him so sick and weak that we watched him fade away in front of our eyes," said Mr Staples. Zac's mother, Karen Staples, said the treatment was "brutal" on young children. The couple have welcomed a £1.5m investment by The Brain Tumour Charity into a new research project to better understand the rare cancer that Zac was diagnosed with. The research project will look at tumour biology, how the tumours behave and how they are currently treated. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> It will also create tumour models taken from patient samples to test different drugs in the laboratory, the charity said. It is hoped the study will give a better understanding of the tumours and will lead to kinder treatments for children affected by them. Dr Simon Newman, the charity's chief scientific officer, said: "We are committed to funding the very best research to fulfil the unmet needs of the brain tumour community. "This research will establish best practices for an under-studied group of tumours that devastate the lives of families and young children." Follow BBC Kent on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BBCinKent/" rel="nofollow"> Facebook </a> , on <a href="https://x.com/BBCRadioKent" rel="nofollow"> X </a> and on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bbcinkent/" rel="nofollow"> Instagram </a> . Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><h2> Related internet links </h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/" rel="nofollow"> The Brain Tumour Charity </a></li></ul><ul><li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn33exjr3k3o?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> The 10-minute test for childhood tumours </a></li><li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-68769651?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> Parents concern over brain cancer treatment scheme </a></li><li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crgk4r308mro?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> NHS gene check is helping children with cancer </a></li></ul></div></body>

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'Our son's cancer care before his death was brutal'

The cancer is so rare that there is not enough data to know how often it occurs.

'Our son's cancer care before his death was brutal'

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