THE family of a boy who is battling cancer are hoping for the best late Christmas present ever after doctors said he might be cured in the New Year.

Bradley Dean, eight, of Marlborough Street, Burnley, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer of the nervous system, in May.

He was treated with chemotherapy over four weeks at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in September and will begin a final course of radiotherapy tomorrow (Dec 27).

His mum Maria said that doctors believe this treatment will clear Bradley's cancer for the beginning of the New Year so the family can look forward to a happy 2008.

She said: "Bradley has been making a great improvement in the last six months. His last scan showed there were only a few hotspots left in his legs and arms after initial scans showed the cancer had spread to his legs, arms, bones and spine.

"He has been home since October and has been back at school for four weeks.

"He's really enjoying getting back to normality, joining in with school activities and seeing all his friends.

"The last lot of his treatment is his radiotherapy which he's starting tomorrow, which he will have alongside vitamin A tablets and penicillin.

"Doctors seem to think that he will make a full recovery by the middle of January . It will be the best late Christmas present ever if he makes a full recovery.

"We are all so pleased that he is home for Christmas, earlier in the year we thought that he might have to stay in so we will be having a really big celebration this year."

Bradley, who attends Springfield Community Primary School in Burnley, spent Christmas with his mum, dad Paul, sisters Shoma, four, and Sarah, five.

Supporters of the young Manchester United fan have raised thousands of pounds for him since he was diagnosed with the illness to help the family cover the expense of travelling to and from the hospital.

Bradley's aunt, Susan Dean, also set up a scheme to ask people to buy an extra Christmas present, which were then being donated to the hospital as a thank you for the help and support the hospital have given to his family.