Childhood Cancer Facts — United States
- Childhood cancer research is consistently underfunded.
- Each day, 47 children are diagnosed with cancer in the United States, which means more than 17,000 children in the U.S. are diagnosed each year.
- Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in American children, resulting in the death of approximately 1,800 kids each year.
- There are approximately 500,000 childhood cancer survivors in the United States.
- In the United States, 85% of children diagnosed with cancer are alive at least five years after diagnosis; however this does not mean they are cured or free from long-term side effects.
- Even those who are cured may suffer long-term side effects as a result of the cancer treatments they received. Children who were treated for cancer are twice as likely to suffer chronic health conditions later in life versus children without a history of cancer.
Childhood Cancer Facts — Global Overview
- Every year, an estimated 400,000+ new cases of cancer affect children under the age of 20 worldwide. This number is most likely underreported due to many cases that go undiagnosed and a lack of comprehensive childhood cancer registries.
- Globally, cancer stole 11.5 million years of healthy life away from children in 2017. This total could be lower, if all children received adequate care.
- In high-income countries, approximately 80% of children diagnosed with cancer will be cured. In some low and middle-income countries less than 30% will survive.
https://www.alexslemonade.org/childhood-cancer/about-childhood-cancer/facts