childhood cancer facts
- Each year, the parents of approximately 15,780 kids will hear the words “your child has cancer.”
- Every day, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer.
- Cancer affects children of all ethnic, gender and socio-economic groups.
- Treatment for childhood cancer typically lasts several years – more than 40,000 children undergo cancer treatment each year.
- The incidence of childhood cancer has increased 24% over the last 40 years (average increase of 0.6% per year since the mid-1970’s).
- The average age of children diagnosed with cancer is six.
- Approximately 17% of children with cancer die within 5 years of diagnosis.
- Among those who survive five years from diagnosis, 18% will die within 30 years of diagnosis.
- 60% of children who survive cancer suffer late-effects ranging from hearing loss to infertility, heart disease and secondary cancers due to the toxicity of treatment.
- One in every 530 young adults (age 20 – 39) in the United States is a survivor of childhood cancer.
- One in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20.
- Cancer remains the number one disease killer of America’s children – more than Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Asthma and AIDS combined.
- Most childhood cancers fall into one of several specific types.
