Pediatric Cancer Facts
Diagnosis
- About 1 in 285 children will develop cancer by the age of 20.
- 46 children per day of 16, 850 children per year are expected to be diagnosed in 2020 with cancer. (11,050 ages 0 to 14 and 5,800 ages 15 to 19).
- Childhood cancer is not one disease- there are more than 12 major types of pediatric cancers and over 100 subtypes.
Long Term Health Effects Due to Treatment & Survival
- More than 95% of childhood cancer survivors will have a significant health related issue by the time they are 45 years old; these health related issues are side effects of either the cancer or more commonly, the result of its treatment.
- Some of the unwanted side effects of cancer treatments cause more harm to children than they do adults. This is because children bodies are still growing so cancer and its treatments are more likely to affect developing organs.
Treatment, Research, Funding
- The average cost associated with childhood cancer in 2018 was $833,000 for one child for medical costs and lost parental wages.
- One in four families lose more than 40% of their annual household income as a result of childhood cancer treatment related work disruption, while one in three families face other work disruptions such as having to quit or change jobs.
- The National Cancer Institute's Funded Research Portfolio spends an average of 3.97% of its obligations on childhood cancer research
- Theres not many treatment options available. In fact, the only treatment option is adult therapies from the 1960s.
References:
1. American Cancer Society, Childhood and Adolescent Cancer Statistics, 2014
2. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, (JAMA. 2013:309 [22]: 2371-2381)
3. American Cancer Society: Declining Childhood and Adolescent Cancer Mortality, Cancer 2014
4. National Vital Statistics Report, vol. 62.6, December 20, 2013
5. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Statistical Brief #132, Pediatric Cancer Hospitalizations 2009
6. American Society of Clinical Oncology
7. The National Cancer Institute
8. CureSearch .org Cancer Statistics
9. Additional information in this statement was obtained from several reliable and authoritative sources