Childhood cancers

What is it?

Childhood cancers are cancers found in children and teenagers. Most cancers in children, like those in adults, are thought to start when changes (mutations) in genes make cells grow out of control. They are much rarer than cancers in adults: about 400,000 children and teenagers up to age 19 get cancer each year worldwide. In children, the most common types are leukaemias, brain and spinal cord tumours, and lymphomas. Other types include neuroblastoma, Wilms tumours, retinoblastoma, and muscle or bone cancers such as rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma. Teenagers more often get lymphomas, bone cancer and thyroid cancer.

For most childhood cancers the cause is not known, and very few are linked to lifestyle or the environment. About 8 to 10 in every 100 are caused by a gene change passed on from a parent.

Signs to see a doctor about

Childhood cancers can appear suddenly, sometimes without early warning signs.

Other signs are vomiting you cannot explain, a high temperature or sweating that keeps going, shortness of breath, problems passing urine or blood in the urine, seizures, or changes in behaviour or mood. These signs can be very similar to other childhood illnesses, such as viruses, colds or flu, so having them does not necessarily mean your child has cancer.

How doctors find out

A CT scan uses a computer linked to an X-ray machine to make detailed pictures of areas inside the body. An ultrasound uses sound waves to make a picture of body tissues. A biopsy takes a sample of tissue from the tumour so that a specialist doctor (a pathologist) can look at it under a microscope for signs of cancer.

Current treatment

Varies by type: chemo, surgery, radiotherapy

Will it get worse?

In the US, the cancer death rate in children up to age 14 fell by 70% between 1970 and 2020, but cancer is still the leading cause of death from disease among children. Finding it early makes it more likely that treatment works, and can mean less intensive treatment. Cancer treatment can cause health problems months or years later (late effects), such as a second cancer or problems with thinking, learning and memory. Childhood cancer survivors should have a physical exam and medical history done once a year.

Medicines: what helps, and what to watch for

Chemotherapy is one of the standard treatments for childhood cancer. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells. Children are not always treated like adults: their growing bodies react differently, and they may get more intensive treatment.

Healthy habits and support help too

Meeting with your child's nurse, a child-life specialist or a psychologist can help your child learn how to manage stress. After treatment, survivors are advised to eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly and have regular medical and dental check-ups. They should avoid smoking, too much alcohol, drugs and unprotected sun.

Surgery, radiotherapy and transplants, for some children

Common treatments for children with cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy and stem cell transplant. Which ones a child has depends on the type of cancer and how advanced it is. Children with cancer are often treated at a children's cancer centre. The specialists there are likely to include children's cancer doctors, surgeons, radiation doctors, specialist nurses, social workers, psychologists and rehabilitation specialists. Children with cancer also need special attention to their physical and mental growth and their nutrition, which takes a dedicated team of specialists. Clinical trials are available there for most types of childhood cancer.

Is there a cure?

Often, yes: some types of childhood cancer can often be cured. Some types can often be cured. In high-income countries more than 8 in 10 children with cancer are cured; in most low- and middle-income countries fewer than 3 in 10 are. Most progress towards cures has come from clinical trials, and trials are open for most types of childhood cancer at children's cancer centres.

See the 2,724 trials you can join

Sources

Written in plain words by Frontlight from these pages:

1. NCI: Childhood Cancers
2. WHO: Childhood cancer – Fact sheet
3. NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin: Children's cancer
4. MedlinePlus: Cancer in Children
5. NCI PDQ: Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer (PDQ®)
6. NCI: Support for Families: Childhood Cancer