Stats on Childhood Cancer

• The World Health Organization (WHO) lists childhood cancer as the leading cause of death for children around the world. It further stated that approximately 300,000 kids and teenagers are diagnosed with cancer every year.

•  80% of children diagnosed with cancer in high-income countries survive, while the rate of survival in many low and middle-income countries is only about 20%.

• The most prevalent types of childhood cancer around the world include brain cancers, leukemia, lymphomas, and solid tumors. 

• According to an article published by CureSearch, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer in the US every day.

• The overall survival rate in the US has increased from 10% about fifty years ago to nearly 90% today — which translates to the fact that 10% - 12% of children diagnosed with cancer do not survive.

• According to the same study, 60% of children who survive will later go on to suffer various life-threatening health-related issues later in life most of which could be traced back to the medical treatments they received as kids such as infertility, heart failure, and secondary cancers.

• Globally, about 80,000 deaths are attributed to childhood cancer annually.

• The highest incidence of childhood cancer occur in Asia (with 128 thousand reported cases and 46 thousand deaths), Africa (with 36 thousand reported cases and 24,400 deaths), and the Latin Americas (with 20, 800 cases and 7,400 reported deaths).

Real-Life Case of Childhood Cancer Survivor and Impact to Familiy.

•  Naomi was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) when she was just 7 years old. Throughout her treatment and recovery, her mother made Naomi promise to always be honest with her.

• According to the article, the mother and daughter would talk about the probability Naomi of not being able to have a baby, and her chances of survival, which helped build the openness and trust they had in each other.

• It was particularly tough for Hoffman, Naomi's mother, because she was also pregnant with twins at this time. According to Hoffman, her entire family suffered. Naomi needed a bone marrow transplant and they had to turn to Naomi's nine-year-old brother to donate his.

• During the entire ordeal, Hoffman had to split her entire family and send them to live with friends and relatives. She described the period as being particularly challenging and traumatic.

• In the article, Hoffman described childhood cancer as "something one cannot walk away from," but she takes solace in the fact that she still has her daughter.