Childhood Cancer Facts/Overview

Incidence

Currently, one in every 330 children in the United States develops cancer before the age of nineteen. The incidence of cancer among children is increasing. Each school day, enough children are diagnosed with childhood cancer to empty two classrooms!  (According to www.cancer.org)

Survival Rate

Depending on the type of cancer and the development upon diagnosis, the ACS estimates that approximately 2,300 children will die from cancer in the year 2000. The number of children diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. each year puts more potential years of life at risk than any single type of adult cancer.  (According to www.caner.org)

Causes

Largely unknown. Currently, there are no established guidelines for childhood cancer prevention.  (According to www.cancer.org)

Description

Childhood cancers are mostly those of the white blood cells (leukemia’s), brain, bone, the lymphatic system and tumors of the muscles, kidneys and nervous system. Each of these behaves differently. Cancers in very young children are highly aggressive and behave unlike malignant disease seen at other times of life. The median age for childhood cancer is six. Children frequently have a more advanced stage of cancer when they are first diagnosed. 80% of children show that cancer has spread to distant sites in the body when the disease is first diagnosed. (According to www.cancer.org)

Current Treatment Options

A child with cancer must be diagnosed precisely and treated by clinical and laboratory scientists who have expertise in the management of children with cancer. Advances in treatment have been made in some childhood cancers; however, many cancer types offer very  aggressive treatments with lower survival rates. Many treatments include: several rounds of chemotherapy, tumor removal, radiation therapy, bone-marrow-transplantation, and various clinical procedures.  (According to www.cancer.org)

Cancer Facts/Statistics

• Despite great progress in research for some types of childhood cancer, cancer still kills more children ages 1 through 20 than any other disease- more than AIDS, asthma, diabetes and cystic fibrosis combined!
• Childhood Cancer is the #1 disease related killer of children under the age of 15 years!
• Worldwide every 3 minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer.
• The incidence of childhood cancer has increased every year for over 25 years.
• Over 175000 children and adolescents are currently being treated every year for childhood cancers. (http://www.stbaldricks.org/why-we-exist)
• The number of years of life put at risk is higher for childhood cancer than for any other type except breast cancer.
• White and Hispanic children are more likely than children from any other racial or ethnic group to develop cancer. (https://www.cancer.gov/research)
• Brain tumors remain the leading cause of cancer-related death in children. (https://www.cancer.gov/research)
• The causes of most childhood cancers are unknown, and for the most part they cannot be prevented. In rare cases, children who are at increased risk of developing a certain cancer due to inherited genetic alterations. (https://www.cancer.gov/research)