Ethan Adams' parents call for research after cancer death

The family of a boy who died from a rare cancer a week after his ninth birthday are to meet the government in a bid to boost research.

Ethan Adams was initially thought to have a dental abscess but it was discovered to be Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) in his brain in November 2020.

The Sunderland fan from South Shields died in August 2021.

Health minister Will Quince said treating and beating childhood cancer was a "top priority".

He is due to meet Ethan's parents Mark and Tracey after their story was shared in a parliamentary debate by South Shields MP Emma Lewell-Buck.

She said "nowhere near enough" was spent on researching childhood cancer and it was "imperative" treatments be improved.

Mr Adams said his son had been a "healthy lad" who was "full of life" and "so energetic" and his illness and death were "devastating".

He said: "Our world's just crashed."

Mrs Adams said Ethan had "got upset" and "thought it was his fault because he hadn't been brushing his teeth".

Ethan was initially taken to the dentist due to a lump in his mouth and treated for what was thought to be an an abscess from an infected tooth.

But when he didn't get better, scans were carried out at hospital in Sunderland which found the aggressive tumours in his brain and spine and traces in his lungs and bone marrow.

He underwent a gruelling regime of chemotherapy and radiotherapy but the tumour was embedded deep in his brain, and he died at his home nine months after being diagnosed.

His parents have joined Alice's Arc, a campaign group seeking a cure for RMS.

Mr Adams said: "We just felt we owed it to Ethan and every other kid out there, somebody needs to fight for them."

He said it was "embarrassing" the drugs used in Ethan's treatment were developed in the 1960s, 70s and 80s and said more research was desperately needed.

Mrs Adams said: "We don't want other families to go through what we have had to go through, it's horrific."

In her address to the House of Commons, Labour MP Mrs Lewell-Buck said Ethan was a "tough cookie" who loved Yoda, Sunderland FC and the colour gold.

She said he was a "mischievous and funny kid with a big heart" and South Shields would "never forget him", adding he never complained about his illness.

Mr Quince said he would meet Ethan's family to talk about his case and future research, adding the government "stands with" those affected by childhood cancer.

"Improving childhood cancer outcomes is a top priority for this government and me personally," Mr Quince said, adding he would work with the NHS to ensure "faster diagnosis", "broader research" and "greater access to ground-breaking treatment".

He said: "We will leave no stone unturned in our mission to beat cancer."