Overview of pediatric cancer

[Magaret]

Overall, childhood cancer is relatively rare, with fewer than 13,500 cases and about 1,500 deaths annually among children aged 0 to 14 years. In comparison, there are 1.4 million cases and 575,000 deaths annually among adults. However, cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death among children, following only injuries.
Childhood cancers include many that also occur in adults. Leukemia is by far the most common, representing about 33% of childhood cancers, brain tumors represent about 25%, lymphomas represent about 8%, and certain bone cancers (osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma—see Primary Malignant Bone Tumors) represent about 4%.
Cancers that are exclusive to children include

Neuroblastoma (7% of cases)
Wilms tumor (5% of cases)
Rhabdomyosarcoma (3 to 4% of cases)
Retinoblastoma (3% of cases)

Currently, it is estimated that there are 350,000 adult survivors of childhood cancer in the United States. Children who survive cancer have more years than adults to develop long-term consequences of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which include

Infertility
Poor growth
Cardiac damage
Development of second cancers (in 3 to 12% of survivors)
Psychosocial effects

Consensus guidelines on screening for and management of long-term consequences are available from the Childrens Oncology Group.
Because of the severe consequences and complexity of treatment, children with cancer are best treated in centers with expertise in childhood cancers.
Treatment of childhood cancer depends on the type of cancer and stage. Common treatments include chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, and stem cell transplantation. Immunotherapy is a newer type of treatment that helps the person