Childhood Cancer Facts

The most common childhood cancer is acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

In 80% of kids with cancer, the cancer has already spread to other areas of the body by the time it is diagnosed.

About 420,000 childhood cancer survivors live in the U.S., with many more around the world. The causes of childhood cancer are not completely understood.

Childhood cancer does not discriminate— it affects every ethnic group and socioeconomic class in every geographic region around the world.

In the United States, the incidence of cancer among adolescents and young adults is increasing at a greater rate than any other age group. About 300,000 kids worldwide are diagnosed with cancer each year.

Thanks to pediatric cancer research, survival rates are improving.

The types of cancer that develop in children are often different from the types that develop in adults.

Since 1980, only three drugs have been approved in the first instance for use in children.
The average cost of a stay in a hospital for a child with cancer is $40,000 per stay.
On average, pediatric hospitalizations for cancer cost almost five times as much as hospitalizations for other pediatric conditions.
Childhood cancer survivors reported higher rates of pain, fatigue and sleep difficulties compared with siblings and peers, all of which are associated with poorer quality of life
CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH RECEIVES ONLY 4% OF THE BUDGET FROM THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
The latest Drug developed for childhood cancer in the US was 30 years ago.
Childhood cancer is often detected too late because parents and health workers do not have sufficient awareness of the warning signs.
Limited progress in pediatric oncology drug development remains a major concern amongst all stakeholders.
NEARLY 16,000 CHILDREN WITH BE DIAGNOSED WIT CANCER IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS
Survival rates are 0% for cancers such as DIPG
CHILDHOOD CANCER IS A FAMILY DIAGNOSIS
Our Kids are worth more than 4%
Social isolation is the number one issue faced by young adults with cancer.
3 OUT OF 5 CHILDREN SUFFER FROM LONG TERM SIFE EFFECTS
The causes of childhood cancers are largely unknown, and for the most part they cannot be prevented
So, while the incidences of cancer in children climb and while childhood cancer destroys families and devastates communities, the federal government’s resources are directed elsewhere.