Most Common Types of Cancer in Children

Leukemias are the most common childhood cancer (30-40%), followed by central nervous system tumors (20%), and lymphomas (12%). 1, 2

Breakdown of Common Childhood Cancers

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) accounts for 75% of childhood leukemia cases 3
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is less common but has a poorer prognosis with only 26.4% 5-year survival rate 3
Early symptoms may mimic viral infections but should raise suspicion when accompanied by abnormal bleeding, bone pain, lymphadenopathy, or hepatosplenomegaly 2

CNS tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death in children 4
The incidence rate of primary CNS tumors in children under 20 years is 6.23 per 100,000 population 4
Medulloblastomas are the predominant embryonal tumors within this category 4
Astrocytomas account for 9.6% of all childhood cancers 3
Presenting symptoms may include elevated intracranial pressure, nerve abnormalities, and seizures 2

Hodgkin's lymphoma - the nodular sclerosing subtype is most common (56% of cases) 3
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - Burkitt's and Burkitt-like disease account for approximately one-third of cases with a notably high male-to-female ratio of 5.7:1 3
Typically presents as one or more painless masses, often in the neck, with possible systemic symptoms like fever and weight loss 2

Neuroblastoma (6.6% of childhood cancers) - the most common extracranial solid tumor and most common intra-abdominal solid tumor in children 4, 3
Wilms' tumor (6.4% of childhood cancers) - may present with hypertension, hematuria, and abdominal pain 3, 2
Rhabdomyosarcoma - accounts for 51% of soft tissue sarcomas in children, with the embryonal type being most common 3
Osteosarcoma - often first detected when trauma appears to cause pain and dysfunction out of proportion to the injury 2, 5
Retinoblastoma - a less common but important childhood malignancy 1

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in children older than 3 months 4, 2
An estimated 8,000 children aged 0-14 years are diagnosed with cancer annually in the United States 6
From 1975-1978 to 1987-1990, cancer among white children increased slightly from 12.8 to 14.1 per 100,000 6
Increases have been observed particularly in leukemias, gliomas, and to a lesser extent, Wilms' tumor 6

Almost 80% of children with Wilms' tumor can be treated successfully with modern diagnostic and therapeutic approaches 4
Five forms of childhood cancer have 5-year relative survival rates of 85% or better 3
Acute myelogenous leukemia has one of the poorest outcomes with only a 26.4% relative survival rate 3

Early detection and prompt therapy have the potential to reduce mortality 2
Children with certain genetic conditions like Down syndrome have an increased risk of developing cancer 2
Multidisciplinary approaches involving pediatric oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, and other specialists are strongly encouraged for optimal outcomes, particularly for CNS tumors 4