Cancer and Children

Survival rates for childhood cancers have increased sharply over the past 20 years. (Read about "Cancer: What It Is") According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), in the United States, more than 75 percent of children with cancer are now alive 5 years after diagnosis, compared with about 60 percent in the mid-1970s.

Childhood cancers are considered relatively rare. However, there are some types of cancers that are more commonly found in infants and children. Among the 12 major types of childhood cancers, leukemias (blood cell cancers) and brain and other central nervous system tumors (Read about "Brain Tumors" "Nervous System") account for over one-half of the new cases. Some of the cancers associated with children and infants are listed below.

Leukemias

Leukemias are cancers of the white blood cells. NCI says the most common type of leukemia in children is acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) ALL is a disease in which too many underdeveloped infection-fighting white blood cells, called lymphocytes, are found in a child's blood and bone marrow. NCI says ALL is the most common form of leukemia in children, and the most common kind of childhood cancer.

(Read about "Leukemia")

Brain tumors

Childhood brain tumors are a diverse group of diseases characterized by the abnormal growth of tissue contained within the skull. Brain tumors can be benign (without cancer cells) or malignant (contains cancer cells). Some of the types of brain tumors that are commonly found in children are medulloblastomas, astrocytomas, ependymomas, primitive neuroectodermal tumors and oligodendrogliomas.

(Read more details about "Brain Tumors")

Lymphomas

Lymphomas (both Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) are cancers that arise in the lymph system. Both Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas occur in both children and adults. NCI says there are three major types of childhood non-Hodgkin's lymphomas: lymphoblastic lymphoma, small noncleaved cell lymphoma (either Burkitt's lymphoma or non-Burkitt's lymphoma), and large cell lymphoma. The type is determined mainly by what the cancer cells look like under a microscope.

(Read more details about "Lymphoma")

Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma often begins in the nerve tissue of the adrenal glands. There are two adrenal glands, one on top of each kidney in the back of the upper abdomen. The adrenal glands produce important hormones that help control heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar and the way the body reacts to stress. (Read about "Stress") Neuroblastoma may also begin in the chest, in nerve tissue near the spine in the neck or in the spinal cord. By the time it is diagnosed, the cancer may have spread (metastasized), most commonly to the lymph nodes, liver, lungs, bones and bone marrow.

NCI says neuroblastoma is predominantly a tumor of early childhood; two thirds of children with neuroblastoma are diagnosed when they are younger than 5 years of age. It is often present at birth but usually is not detected until later; in rare cases, neuroblastoma can be detected before birth by fetal ultrasound. (Read about "Ultrasound Imaging")

The most common symptoms of neuroblastoma are the result of pressure by the tumor or bone pain from cancer that has spread to the bone. Protruding eyes and dark circles around the eyes are common and are caused by cancer that has spread to the area behind the eye. Neuroblastomas may compress the spinal cord, causing paralysis. Fever, anemia (Read about "Anemia"), and high blood pressure are found occasionally. Rarely, children may have severe watery diarrhea (Read about "Diarrhea"), uncoordinated or jerky muscle movements or uncontrollable eye movement.

According to NCI, if your child has symptoms that may be caused by a neuroblastoma, his or her doctor will conduct a careful examination and order laboratory tests and special x-rays. (Read about "X-rays" "Laboratory Testing") A computed tomographic (CT) scan, a diagnostic test that uses computers and x-rays to create pictures of the body, may be performed. (Read about "CT Scan - Computerized Tomography") A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, a diagnostic test similar to a CT scan, but which uses magnetic waves instead of x-rays, may also be performed. (Read about "MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging")

Often, removal of tissue from the tumor and/or bone marrow is required to determine whether a neuroblastoma exists. A small sample of the tissue may be surgically removed and examined under a microscope. This is called a biopsy. (Read about "Biopsy") Sometimes a biopsy is done by making a small hole and using a needle to extract a sample of the tissue.

A child's chance of recovery (prognosis) and choice of treatment depend on the stage of the child's cancer (how far the cancer has spread), the child's age at diagnosis, the location of the tumor, and evaluation of the tumor cells under a microscope. (Read about "Cancer Treatments")

Bone Cancers

Osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma are two types of bone cancer that can be found in children. NCI says the Ewing's family of tumors are rare diseases in which cancer cells are found in the bone and soft tissues. Ewing's family of tumors most frequently occurs in teenagers, according to NCI. Osteosarcoma is a more common type of bone cancer. In children, it occurs most commonly in the bones around the knee. Osteosarcoma most often occurs in adolescents and young adults.

(Read more details about "Bone Cancer")

Wilms' Tumor

Wilms' tumor is a fast-growing tumor in the kidney. According to NCI, Wilms' tumor is curable in the majority of affected children.

(Read more details about Wilms' tumor in "Kidney Cancer")

Rhabdomyosarcomas

Rhabdomyosarcomas can occur in any muscle tissue, but are often found in the head and neck area, including eye sockets. This type of cancer can occur in adults, but it is much more common in infants, children and teenagers. The most common type of rhabdomyosarcomas occur in the head and neck, especially near the eye, inside the mouth or near the spine in the neck. They can also develop in the urinary and reproductive organs, as well as the arms and legs. Symptoms depend on the location of the tumor or tumors.

Retinoblastomas

Retinoblastomas are malignant eye tumors, which NCI says are considered rare. This cancer affects the retina, which lines the back of the eye and senses light and forms images. According to NCI, although retinoblastoma may occur at any age, it most often occurs in younger children, usually before the age of 5 years. Symptoms of a retinoblastoma include a white pupil and crossed eyes. It can develop in one or both eyes, and in some cases can be hereditary. (Read about "Genetics") A child who has hereditary retinoblastoma may also be at risk of developing a tumor in the brain while they are being treated for the eye tumor. This is called trilateral retinoblastoma, and patients should be periodically monitored by the doctor for the possible development of this rare condition during and after treatment.

(Read more details about eye cancer in "Eye Cancer")

Hepatoblastomas

Hepatoblastoma is a cancer that can develop in infants, although older children can also develop the disease. NCI says it is considered rare. Of the cancers that start in the liver, NCI says hepatoblastoma is more common in young children before age 3 and may be caused by an abnormal gene. NCI says children infected with hepatitis B or C (Read about "Hepatitis B" "Hepatitis C") are more likely than other children to get another type of liver cancer called hepatocellular cancer.

(Read more details about "Liver Cancer")

Children can develop other cancers. For information on other types of cancers, please see the listing of cancer types at the end of "Cancer: What It Is"

More Cancer Information:

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    Cancer Treatments

    Reduce Cancer Risks

    Cancer Glossary

For a list of individual types of cancer, see Cancer: What It Is