Childhood Cancer

Cancer is relatively rare in children. Most cancers (98%) develop in adults, especially in people past middle age. About one out of every six adults develop cancer during his or her lifetime, while about one out of every 330 children under age 20 develop cancer.

At the same time, however, there is a lot of research going on to discover new treatments for childhood cancer. This ongoing research has greatly improved the overall survival rate for children with cancer, which is now 80%.

What is childhood cancer?

Cancer begins when normal cells begin to change and grow uncontrollably. In most types of cancer, these cells form a mass called a tumor. A tumor can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous, meaning it can spread to other parts of the body). In leukemia, a cancer of the blood and blood-forming organs that starts in the bone marrow, these abnormal cells rarely form a solid tumor, but instead crowd other types of cells in the bone marrow. This prevents the production of normal red blood cells, otherotherwhite blood cells, and platelets (part of the blood needed for clotting).

Cancer in children most often forms in the parts of their bodies that are still growing and changing, such as their blood system, brain, and kidneys. In general, cancers that occur in children are not “caused” by the same things as adult cancers. For this reason, they grow and spread differently than adult cancers.

Types of childhood cancer

Childhood cancer is a general term used to describe a range of cancer types and noncancerous tumors found in children. Below are the most common types of cancer in children 14 and under. For more information on each type, select a name below.

• Leukemia (accounts for about 31% of childhood cancer cases)
  
  
  • Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
    
    
  • Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

• Brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumors (21%), including tumors of the spinal cord
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  • Astrocytoma
    
    
  • Brain Stem Glioma
    
    
  • High-Grade Glioma
    
    
  • Central Nervous System
    
    
  • Craniopharyngioma
    
    
  • Desmoplastic Infantile Ganglioglioma
    
    
  • Ependymoma
    
    
  • Medulloblastoma
    
    
  • Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor

• Neuroblastoma (7.1%), a tumor of immature nerve cells that often starts in the adrenal glands, which are located on top of the kidneys and are part of the body’s endocrine (hormonal) system
  
  
• Wilms Tumor (5.2%), a type of kidney tumor
  
  
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (4.3%) and Hodgkin Lymphoma (3.8%), cancers that begin in the lymph system
  
  
• Rhabdomyosarcoma (3.3%), a type of tumor that begins in the striated muscle, which are the skeletal voluntary muscles that people can control. Other, rare soft tissue sarcomas also occur.
  
  
• Retinoblastoma (2.6%), an eye tumor
  
  
• Osteosarcoma (2.5%) and Ewing Family of Tumors (1.6%), tumors that begin in the bone
  
  
• Germ Cell Tumors, rare tumors that begin in the testicles in boys and ovaries in girls
  
  
• Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, a rare lung cancer that begins in the chest
  
  
• Hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma

Cancer in teenagers and young adults

There is an increasing amount of research regarding children diagnosed after the age of 14. As these children are starting to enter young adulthood, they may have unique medical, social, and emotional needs that are different from younger children with cancer. They are part of a group often called adolescents and young adults (AYA).

Most often, teenagers and young adults with cancer should be treated at a pediatric oncology center or at a center where medical oncologists (doctors who treat cancer with medication) and pediatric oncologists (doctors who treat children with cancer) work together to plan treatment, so they receive the newest treatments and are cared for by a team of doctors. This is especially true for teenagers who have lymphoma, leukemia, and bone tumors. The few exceptions are teenagers with cancers most commonly found in adults, such as melanoma, testicular cancer, and ovarian cancer. Teenagers with these cancers may receive treatments that are similar to adults, but they also need to receive age-appropriate support for their social and emotional needs. In either the pediatric or adult care centers, age-appropriate support is very important for children and teens. Learn more about age-specific information.

Below are the most common types of cancer in teenagers, ages 15 to 19. For more information on each type, select a name below.

• Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (16%)
  
  
• Germ Cell Tumors, including Testicular Cancer and Ovarian Cancer (16%)
  
  
• Other cancers (12%)
  
  
• CNS Tumors (10%)
  
  
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (8%)
  
  
• Thyroid Cancer (7%)
  
  
• Melanoma (7%)
  
  
• ALL (6%)
  
  
• Soft Tissue Sarcoma (7%)
  
  
• Osteosarcoma (5%)
  
  
• AML (5%)
  
  
• Ewing Family of Tumors (2%)

Looking for More of an Overview?

If you would like additional introductory information, explore the following item on Cancer.Net:

• Cancer.Net Patient Education Videos: View short videos led by an ASCO expert in this type of cancer that provide basic information about childhood cancer treatment, areas of research, and survivorship.

Or, choose “Next” (below, right) to continue reading this detailed section.