Childhood Cancer Statistics
Understanding the Impact of Cancer
Childhood cancer includes many different diseases that affect children and adolescents, including leukemia, lymphoma, and brain and spinal cord tumors. A diagnosis can upend childhood, interrupting school, friendships, and everyday family life. Children and their families must navigate complex treatments, hospital visits, and uncertainty at a time meant for learning, playing, and growing.
-
Every
80 seconds
a child is diagnosed with cancer.[1]
-
Approximately
400,000
children ages 0-19 are diagnosed with cancer worldwide each year.[1]
-
Disease related deaths
#1
Cancer is the leading cause of death from disease among U.S. children after infancy.[2]
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Life after cancer
2 in 3
childhood cancer survivors develop chronic health conditions that can be related to treatment toxicity.[3]
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Years of life lost
70.4 years
Average potential years of life lost for each childhood cancer death.[5]
-
Research funding
<10%
of federal cancer research funding through NIH goes to pediatric cancer research.[4]
Survival varies and progress is uneven
Research has improved survival for many children with cancer. In the United States, about 85% of children ages 0–14 now survive at least five years after diagnosis, compared with approximately 58% in the mid-1970s. However, progress has been uneven, and survival varies widely by cancer type. Some cancers remain difficult to treat, and survivors can face lasting effects of cancer and its treatment. More research is needed to close these gaps and develop better, safer treatments that help children survive cancer and live healthier lives.
Research for better treatments
Children with cancer need treatments that improve survival and protect their long-term health. Continued investment in research is essential to make that possible.
CureSearch funds research aimed at developing more effective, less-toxic treatments for children. We prioritize areas of unmet need, including cancers with low survival rates and limited treatment options, and help advance promising therapies from the laboratory into clinical trials. Our goal is to turn scientific discoveries into better treatment options allowing more children to survive cancer and live healthier lives.
References
- International Agency for Research on Cancer. Childhood Cancer Awareness Month 2023. September 8, 2023.
- National Cancer Institute. Cancer in Children and Adolescents.
- Oeffinger KC, et al. Chronic health conditions in adult survivors of childhood cancer. New England Journal of Medicine. 2006;355(15):1572–1582.
- National Institutes of Health. Funding for Various Research, Condition, and Disease Categories (RCDC). NIH RePORT; FY2025 data.
- National Cancer Institute. Years of Life Lost. Cancer Trends Progress Report. U.S. children ages 0–14; 2023 data.
