Nick Cannon has opened up about his decision not to treat his late son’s cancer diagnosis with chemotherapy having experienced it himself.

The America’s Got Talent host, 41, revealed earlier this month that his five-month-old son Zen had died from a brain tumour.

While palliative chemotherapy was offered, it was not a road that Cannon wanted his young son to go down having undergone chemotherapy himself in his own battle with lupus.

Speaking to People magazine, he explained: “We were having quality-of-life conversations.

“We could have had that existence where he would’ve had to live in the hospital, hooked up to machines, for the rest of the time,” he continued.

“From someone who’s had to deal with chemotherapy before, I know that pain. To see that happen to a two-month-old, I didn’t want that. I didn’t want him to suffer.”

Cannon, who has seven children, including two with ex-wife Mariah Carey, welcomed Zen with his model ex-partner Alyssa Scott in June.

He spoke about the youngster’s death for the first time during an episode of The Nick Cannon Show on YouTube, including Zen’s initial diagnosis and how he underwent brain surgery with his health declining at Thanksgiving.

He also described his final moments with his son during a weekend getaway to the ocean, saying: “I made a valid effort to spend the most quality time I could spent with Zen. And we woke up on Sunday, and I was like, ‘I just want to go to the water and close to the ocean’.

“Holding my son for the last time, it was still a beautiful setting. Not only did we get to see the sunrise, but we also got to see the sunset too.”

He ended by urging his viewers to cherish their loved ones, saying: “You never know what somebody is going through; hug your people, hug your family, kiss somebody, tell them you love them.