I childhood cancers they affect 1,400 children under the age of 14 every year. In the range between 15 and 19 years there are 900 cases. In total they represent 1% of all cancers. Fortunately, the 5-year survival after diagnosis has come to exceed 80% for leukemia. On the other hand, it is around 70% for solid tumors. However, we still have a long way to go for effective treatments for all very young patients. Boys are more likely to get childhood cancer than girls.
What are the most common childhood cancers?
Leukemia
They account for about one third of cancers affecting children (0-14 years) and 11% of those occurring among adolescents (14-19 years).
They are diseases of the white blood cells. The most common shapes in the entire 0-19 age group are the lymphoid leukemia
(76%) and the acute myeloid leukemia (15%).
Childhood bone tumors
Il bone cancer more common is theosteosarcoma, which accounts for 47% of cases. Also very frequent sarcoma di Ewing which accounts for 38% of diagnoses. Overall, they account for 5% of all cancers.
lymphomas
I am tumors of the lymphatic system. They are divided into two broad categories:
- the most common are Hodgkin’s lymphomas,
- non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
They are more frequent among adolescents than among children. 54% of cases occur among teenagers.
Childhood tumors: soft tissue sarcomas
They constitute 6% of all pediatric cancers and mainly affect muscle tissue. The most common is the rabdomiosarcoma with 36% of cases, followed by the fibrosarcomawhich represents 15% of cases.
Tumors of the nervous system
They affect the brain and spinal cord. Even when they are not aggressive, they can leave aftereffects because they affect the nervous system in the critical period of cognitive development. The most common is the neuroblastoma which together with other tumors of the sympathetic nervous system represents 5% of all tumors in the 0-19 age range. Also common retinoblastomawhich represents 3% of cancers between 0 and 14 years.
Childhood cancer: what is the AIRC’s commitment?
The Italian Cancer Research Association has invested 8.5 million euros to support 78 research projects on childhood cancer. The goal is to offer younger patients new methods of diagnosis and treatment that are increasingly targeted, precise, safe and effective. In many cases, after recovery, these patients will in fact have more than 70 years to live and the choice of treatments must take this life expectancy into account.
You can support the research of the AIRC Foundation on childhood cancers with a donation on www.airc.it or with a call or text message to 45521.