Childhood cancer

About 80% of childhood cancer cases in high-income countries can be treated with modern treatments and good medical care. Although treatment and care are available, only 10% of children with cancer reside in high-income countries. Globally, children with cancer account for approximately 1% of all cancer diagnosis annually. The majority of children with cancer are in low- and middle-income countries, where it is responsible for 94% of deaths among those under 15 years old, because new cancer treatments are not easily available in these countries. For this reason, in low and mid-income countries, childhood cancer is often ignored in control planning, contributing to the burden of missed opportunities for its diagnoses and management.

Even with improved care, childhood cancer survivors face ongoing risks of recurrence and secondary cancers. Rates of childhood cancer deaths have steadily declined since 2003, but rates of pediatric cancer are on the rise. The biggest increase has been seen in thyroid carcinomas, lymphoma, and hepatic tumors. Pediatric cancer patients face additional challenges in education, income, and social support compared to the general population and their siblings.

In the United States, an arbitrarily adopted standard of the ages used is 0–14 years inclusive, up to age 14 years 11.9 months. However, the definition of childhood cancer sometimes includes adolescents between 15 and 19 years old. Pediatric oncology is the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in children.