Each year in the U.S. there are approximately 13,400 children between the ages of birth and 19 years of age who are diagnosed with cancer. About one in 300 boys and one in 333 girls will develop cancer before their 20th birthday. In 1998, about 2500 died of cancer, thus making cancer the most common cause of death by disease for children and adolescents in America.
Statistics on child and adolescent cancer incidence are collected by the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) SEER Program (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results). The data is collected at 10 sites (5 states including CT, UT, NM, IA, and HI and 5 cities including Detroit, Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle), with each representing …show more content…
The following graph illustrates the distribution of the more common childhood cancers for children ages birth to 14 years.
Source: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, 1975-2003, Div. of Cancer Control and Pop. Sciences, NCI, 2006 Survival Statistics While the incidence of childhood cancer has changed only slightly since Candlelighters inception in 1970 (an increase from 11.4 per 100,000 population in 1974 to 14.8 per 100,000 in 2004), the overall survival rate for childhood cancer has increased drastically during that time period. Today, the overall 5 year survival rate for childhood cancer is close to 80%. Because treatment cure rates have increased, the population of childhood cancer survivors has also increased. Currently there are estimated to be 270,000 survivors of childhood cancer in the U.S. This equates to one in 640 young adults between the ages of 20 to 39 being a survivor of a childhood …show more content…
One quarter of survivors face a late-effect from treatment that is classified as severe or life-threatening. Late-effects of treatment can include heart damage, second cancers, lung damage, infertility, cognitive impairment, growth deficits, hearing loss, and more. It is becoming increasingly apparent that childhood cancer "is for life." Late effects from either the disease process or aggressive treatment regimens are given at a time of life when children have growing bodies and developing brains. As such, patterns of late-effects include disabilities, chronic health conditions, and even subsequent battles with additional cancer. It is imperative that all survivors of childhood cancer receive on-going monitoring and continued physical and psychosocial care throughout their adult