Measure D6: Types of Childhood Cancer

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• Leukemia was the most common cancer diagnosis for children from 1975-2005, representing about 20 percent of total cancer cases. Incidence of acute lymphoblastic leukemia was 25 cases per million in 1975-1980 and 31 cases per million in 2001-2005. Rates of acute myeloid leukemia were 6 cases per million in 1975-1980 and 7 cases per million in 2001-2005.
• Central nervous system tumors represented about 18 percent of childhood cancers in 2001-2005. The incidence of central nervous system tumors was 24 cases per million in 1975-1980 and 29 per million in 2001-2005.
• Lymphomas, which include Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, represented approximately 13 percent of childhood cancers in 2001-2005. Incidence of Hodgkin’s disease was 14 cases per million in 1975-1980 and 11 per million in 2001-2005. There were approximately 6 cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas per million children in 1975-1980 and 9 per million in 2001-2005.

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• Different types of cancer affect children at different ages. Neuroblastomas and Wilms’ tumor (tumors of the kidney) are usually found only in very young children. Nervous system cancers and leukemias are most common through age 14 (leukemias being highest among 0-4 year olds); lymphomas, carcinomas, and germ cell and other gonadal tumors are more common in those 15-19 years old.¹

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1. L. A. G. Reis, M. A. Smith, J. G. Gurney, M. Linet, T. Tamra, J. L. Young and G. R. Bunin. 1999. Cancer Incidence and Survival among Children and Adolescents: United States SEER Program 1975-1995. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute, SEER Program. NIH Pub. No. 99-4649. http://seer.cancer.gov/publications/childhood/index.html.