What is Childhood Cancer?
Childhood cancer (also called pediatric cancer) typically means a cancer that is found in children and teens, and sometimes young adults. It is not just one disease.
There are many types, which can be found in different places throughout the body.
The most common cancer in children is leukemia, a type of blood cancer. Cancer can also occur in organs and tissues such as the lymph nodes (lymphoma), nervous system (brain tumors) and muscles, bone and skin (solid tumors).
Cancer Statistics
• Cancer is diagnosed each year in about 175,000 children ages 14 and under worldwide.
• Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease past infancy for U.S. children.
• However, thanks to better therapies, more than 80% of U.S. childhood cancer patients now become long-term survivors.
• Survival rates can vary depending on the type of cancer.
• About 420,000 childhood cancer survivors live in the U.S., with many more around the world.
What Causes Cancer in Children?
The causes of childhood cancer are not completely understood. While adult cancers are usually linked to lifestyle or environmental factors, cancer in children is different in several ways.
In a young person, cancer is less likely to be caused by the patient’s environment or lifestyle, even though
environmental factors can play a role. Instead, the cause is often genetic changes that occur before birth or early in childhood. Most often, these genetic changes (called mutations) are thought to occur by chance. In a few cases children are born with genetic changes that increase their risk of getting cancer.
Learning what genetic changes caused a cancer can help doctors diagnose it more effectively. Going forward, this information may also help scientists develop better treatments.