Cancer in children
- Article
- 2021-02-28
A cancer diagnosis is troubling at any age, but especially if the patient is a child. It is normal to have many questions such as: Who should treat my child? Will my child get better? What does all this mean for our family? Not all questions have an answer, but the information and resources on this page provide a starting point for understanding the basics of childhood cancer.
Types of childhood cancer
In the United States, an estimated 11,050 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in children from birth to age 14 by 2020, and about 1,190 children are expected to die from the disease. Although the death rate from cancer for this age group fell by 65 percent between 1970 and 2016, cancer remains the leading cause of death in children from illness. The most common cancers diagnosed in children 0 to 14 years of age are leukemia , brain and other central nervous system (CNS) tumors and lymphomas .
NCI's Cancer Stat Facts include detailed cancer rates and trend information for certain types of childhood cancers.
Treating cancer in children
Cancers in children are not always treated like cancers in adults. Pediatric oncology is a medical specialty that focuses on the care of children with cancer. It is important to know that this expertise exists and that there are effective treatments for many cancers in children.
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Types of treatments
There are many types of cancer treatments. The types of treatment a child with cancer receives depends on the type of cancer and how far along it is. Common treatments are: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy and stem cell transplantation. Read more about these and other therapies in the Types of treatments section.
The latest expert-reviewed information
NCI's PDQ® Pediatric Cancer Information Summaries explain the diagnosis, staging, and treatment options for childhood cancer.
Our summary on childhood cancer genomics describes the genomic changes associated with different cancers in children and their significance for therapy and prognosis.
Clinical Trials
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This study examines treatments targeting tumor changes in children and adolescents with advanced cancer.
Before a new treatment can be made widely available to patients, it must be studied in clinical trials (research studies) and it must be established that it is safe and effective in the treatment of disease. Clinical trials in children and adolescents with cancer are generally designed to compare potentially better therapy with therapy currently accepted as standard. Most of the progress that has been made in identifying curative therapies for childhood cancer has been achieved through clinical trials.
The information on clinical trials for patients and caregivers on our site explains how clinical trials work. Information specialists serving NCI's cancer information service can answer questions about the process and help identify ongoing clinical trials for children with cancer.
Side effects of the treatment
Children face unique challenges during their cancer treatment, after completion of treatment, and as cancer survivors. For example, they may receive more intensive treatments, cancer and its treatments have different effects on growing bodies than adult bodies, and they may respond differently to medications that control symptoms in adults. See the PDQ® Pediatric Supportive Care overview for more information. Late effects of treatment are discussed later on this page in the Survivability section.
Where children with cancer are treated
Children with cancer are often treated in a children's cancer center, hospital or ward of a hospital that specializes in the treatment of children with cancer.
The doctors and other health professionals in these centers have special training and expertise to provide children with complete care. Specialists in a pediatric cancer center are likely to be general practitioners, pediatric oncologists / hematologists, pediatric surgical specialists, radiation oncologists, rehabilitation specialists, pediatric nurse specialists, social workers and psychologists. Clinical trials are available at these centers for most cancers affecting children, and many patients are given the opportunity to participate in a trial.
Hospitals with experts in the treatment of children with cancer are usually members of the NCI-supported Children's Oncology Group (COG). Close Disclaimer COG is the world's largest organization conducting clinical research to improve the care and treatment of children with cancer . NCI's Cancer Information Service can help families find COG-affiliated hospitals.
At the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, NCI's Pediatric Oncology Branch cares for children and young adults with cancer. Health professionals and scientists are conducting translational research spanning from basic science to clinical trials to improve outcomes for children and young adults with cancer and genetic tumor syndromes.
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