Childhood Cancer Incidence

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Childhood cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States. Every day, 42 children aged 0-19 are diagnosed with cancer and the average age of diagnosis is 10. Cancer affects all ethnic, gender, and socio-economic groups and more than 40,000 children undergo treatment for cancer each year.

Created with Highcharts 11.4.8Childhood Cancer Incidence, Age 0-19, 2017-2021Leukemia: 25%Lymphoma: 16%Brain and Central Nervous System: 16%Epithelial Neoplasms and Melanomas: 13%Rhabdomyosarcoma (Soft Tissue Tumors): 7%Germ Cell Tumors: 6%Neuroblastoma and Other Peripheral Nerve Cell Tumor: 5%Bone Tumors: 5%Kidney Tumors (including Wilms Tumor): 4%Liver Tumors (including Hepatoblastoma): 2%Retinoblastoma: 2%Other: 1%

Source: U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. U.S. Cancer Statistics Data Visualizations Tool. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute; www.cdc.gov/cancer/dataviz, released in June 2024.

The causes of childhood cancers are largely unknown, and for the most part they cannot be prevented. A few conditions, such as Down syndrome, other specific chromosomal and genetic abnormalities, and ionizing radiation exposures, explain a small percentage of cases. Children with AIDS have an increased risk of developing certain cancers, predominantly non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Kaposi sarcoma.

View our other childhood cancer statistics charts and graphics:


  • Deaths-By-Disease-Thumb

    Childhood Cancer Deaths Per Year


  • 5-Year-Survival-Thumb

    5-Year Survival Rate


  • Average Years of Life Lost to Cancer

    Average Years of Life Lost to Cancer


  • infographics-thumb

    Infographics


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