FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT CHILDHOOD CANCER
- Worldwide, a child is diagnosed with cancer every three minutes. That’s 20 kids/hour.
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death of children in the U.S. (accidents are No. 1).
- 1 in 320 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer before they turn 20.
- 95% of childhood cancer survivors develop chronic health problems by age 45.
- 80% of childhood cancer survivors will have severe or life-threatening conditions.
- Less than 4% of the U.S. National Cancer Institute’s budget is allocated to childhood cancer research.
- While pharmaceutical companies fund 60% of adult cancer drug development, they fund 0% of childhood cancer drug development.
- The good news: Today 85% of kids with common types of cancers will live.
What’s Different about Childhood Cancers?
If kids get cancers like lymphoma, that usually appear in adults, they must be treated differently. In 80% of kids, by the time cancer is diagnosed, it has already spread to other areas of the body.