About Childhood Cancer
Cancer is the #1 cause of death by disease in children
Every day, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer
The average age of children diagnosed is six
More than 40,000 children undergo treatment for cancer each year
There are approximately 375,000 adult survivors of children’s cancer in the United States
All pediatric cancers combined receive less than 4% of federal funding for cancer research
Types of Childhood Cancer
The most common pediatric cancers are:
Bone cancer (including Osteosarcoma and Ewing Sarcoma)
Leukemia (34%) - The most common types in children are acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Leukemia may cause bone and joint pain, fatigue, weakness, bleeding, fever, weight loss, and other symptoms.
Brain and other nervous system tumors (27%) - There are many types of brain tumors, and the treatment and outlook for each is different. Most brain tumors in children start in the lower parts of the brain, such as the cerebellum or brain stem. They can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, blurred or double vision, dizziness, and trouble walking or handling objects.
Neuroblastoma (7%) - Neuroblastoma is a form of cancer that starts in early forms of nerve cells found in a developing embryo or fetus. This type of cancer typically occurs in infants and young children, and is rarely found in children older than 10. This tumor can start anywhere but is usually in the abdomen and is first noticed as swelling. It can also cause bone pain and fever.
Wilms tumor (5%) - Wilms tumor is a cancer that starts in one or both kidneys. It is most often found in children 3 to 4 years old, and is uncommon in children older than age 6. It can show up as swelling or a lump in the abdomen. Sometimes the child might have other symptoms, like fever, pain, nausea, or poor appetite.
Lymphoma (4%) - These are cancers that start in certain cells of the immune system called lymphocytes. These cancers most often affect lymph nodes and other lymph tissues, like the tonsils or thymus. They can also affect the bone marrow and other organs, and can cause different symptoms depending on where the cancer is growing. Lymphomas can cause weight loss, fever, sweats, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit, or groin.
Rhabdomyosarcoma (3%) - Rhabdomyosarcoma starts in cells that normally develop into skeletal muscles. It can happen in the head and neck, groin, abdomen, pelvis, or in an arm or leg. It may cause pain, swelling (a lump), or both. This is the most common type of soft tissue sarcoma in children.
Childhood Cancer in Our Community
Each year, more than 300 children and adolescents at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas are newly diagnosed with cancer, with more than 650 children receiving therapy at any given time. 1 in 5 children diagnosed with cancer in Texas is treated at Children's in Dallas. Through our work, the survival rate for all childhood cancers is now close to 80%, significantly better than the 50% chance a child was given 30 years ago. The increase in survival is a huge improvement for some cancers, but some other childhood cancers still have a less than 50% cure rate.
There is much work left to be done. By joining together, we can do more to find cures for childhood cancers.
Long-Term Impacts
Childhood cancer has long-term side effects that continue to affect patients even after they are cancer-free or cured. Depending on the type of cancer and the treatments received, aftereffects experienced by childhood cancer survivors can include problems with learning, infertility, stunted growth, heart and lung problems, secondary cancers, and more.