Childhood Cancer Facts and Figures
All statistics are for U.S. children from birth through age 19 unless stated otherwise. This summary relies on the most recent published data with respect to its contents, some of which dates back one or more years.
This page was last updated in January 2026.
Diagnosis
Approximately 15,000 children and adolescents in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer each year: In 2026, an estimated 9,680 children (ages 0 to 14 years) and 5,660 adolescents (ages 15-19 years) will be diagnosed with cancer.
Incidence rates in children have stabilized since 2015 but continue to increase for adolescents by about 1 percent per year.
One in 264 children & adolescents is estimated to be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20 years.
The average age at diagnosis is 10 overall (ages 0 to 19), 6 years old for children (aged 0 to 14), and 17 years old for adolescents (aged 15 to 19), while adults’ average age for cancer diagnosis is 66.
Childhood cancer is not one disease - there are more than 12 major types of pediatric cancers and over 100 subtypes.
The most common cancers in children and adolescents are leukemia (28% and 13%, respectively); brain and central nervous system, including benign and borderline malignant tumors (27% and 22%); and lymphoma (12% and 19%).
It is estimated that there will be 13.7 million cases of childhood cancer between 2020-2050. Unless there are major improvements in diagnosis and treatments, of this, 45% will go undiagnosed and 11.1 million will die if no further investments in interventions are made. The vast majority, almost 85%, will be concentrated in developing countries.
Survival - and Long Term Health Impacts
Cancer in children and young adults is different from cancer that develops later in life. Some of the unwanted side effects of cancer treatments cause more harm to children than they do to adults. This is because children's bodies are still growing and developing, so cancer and its treatment are more likely to affect developing organs.
As of 2022, more than 521,000 pediatric cancer survivors were living in the United States, a number projected to exceed 580,000 by 2040. Approximately 1 in 530 young adults between the ages of 20 and 39 is a survivor of childhood cancer.
More than 95% of childhood cancer survivors will have a significant health related issue by the time they are 45 years of age; these health related issues are side-effects of either the cancer or more commonly, the result of its treatment. 1/3 rd. will suffer severe and chronic side effects; 1/3rd will suffer moderate to severe health problems; and 1/3rd will suffer slight to moderate side effects.
By age 50, survivors experience nearly twice as many chronic conditions (an average of 17) as their peers without a history of cancer.
Cognitive impairment affects up to one-third of childhood cancer survivors.
Childhood cancer survivors age about 5% faster each year and can appear up to 16 years older biologically than peers without a cancer history. Many survivors in their 30s may show health patterns similar to healthy adults in their 60s.
A large follow-up study of pediatric cancer survivors found that almost 10% developed a second cancer (most commonly female breast, thyroid, and bone) over the 30-year period after the initial diagnosis.
Female childhood cancer survivors who were treated with chemotherapy — even if they did not receive radiation treatments to their chest — are six times more likely than the general population to be diagnosed with breast cancer later in life. For those who did receive chest radiation, that chance increases exponentially and is on par with those who have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.
Childhood cancer survivors are at a 15-fold increased risk of developing Congestive Heart Failure and are at 7-fold higher risk of premature death due to cardiac causes, when compared with the general population. There is a strong dose-dependent relation between anthracycline chemotherapy exposure and CHF risk, and the risk is higher among those exposed to chest radiation.
Children who were treated for bone cancer, brain tumors, and Hodgkin lymphoma, or who received radiation to their chest, abdomen, or pelvis, have the highest risk of serious late effects from their cancer treatment, including second cancers, joint replacement, hearing loss, and congestive heart failure.
Life expectancy for five year childhood cancer survivors has steadily increased. Life expectancy for those treated in the 70’s is only 48.5 years and survivors treated in the 80’s have a life expectancy of 53.7 years, while those treated in the 90’s rose to 57.1 years. Normal life expectancy for adults is 80. The good news: survivors treated with modern, risk-stratified therapy — especially those with standard-risk leukemia — now have risks of late mortality and second cancers approaching that of the general population.
Nearly a quarter of childhood cancer survivors experience at least one debilitating neuromuscular condition 20 years post diagnosis.
Mortality:
Cancer is the number one cause of death by disease among children and adolescents in the United States.
Approximately, 1,090 children and 730 adolescents will die from cancer in 2026.
In the United States, the five-year survival rate for all pediatric cancers combined has increased from 63% in the mid-1970s to 87% in 2015-2021. Among those children who survive to five years from diagnosis, 18% of them will die over the next 25 years.
Cancer survival rates vary not only depending upon the type of cancer, but also upon individual factors attributable to each child.
Five year survival rates can range from almost 0% for cancers such as DIPG (2.2%) , a type of brain cancer, to as high as 90% for the most common type of childhood cancer known as Acute Lymphoma Leukemia (ALL).
The most common causes of death in childhood cancer survivors are: The primary cancer comes back. A second (different) primary cancer forms. Heart and lung damage.
Those that survive the five years have an eight times greater mortality rate due to the increased risk of liver and heart disease and increased risk for reoccurrence of the original cancer or of a secondary cancer.
There are approximately 70 potential life years lost on average when a child dies of cancer compared to 14 potential life years lost for adults.
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) represents approximately 80% of the malignant brainstem tumors occurring in children. Despite numerous clinical trials, the outcome of children with DIPG continues to remain dismal, with a median survival of only 11 months and a 2-year overall survival (OS) rate of less than 10%.
Disparities:
While five-year survival rates in the U.S. exceed 90% for cancers such as Hodgkin lymphoma, thyroid cancer, and retinoblastoma, other aggressive cancers including certain gliomas and sarcomas still have survival rates below 25%.
Hispanic children experience the highest cancer incidence rates.
Non-Hispanic Black children are nearly 30% more likely to die from certain pediatric cancers than non-Hispanic White children.
Children in rural or economically disadvantaged areas face greater barriers to specialized care, clinical trials, and supportive services.
Worldwide, approximately 400,000 children develop cancer each year, and up to 90% of cases occur in low- and middle-income countries where survival rates are far lower due to underdiagnosis, limited treatment resources, and delays in care. For example, retinoblastoma survival approaches 98% in high-income countries but can fall to 57% in low-income countries. The global five-year net childhood cancer survival is estimated at just 37.4%.
Drug Development and Research
Between the years of 2009 and 2019, nine of the 11 drugs used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia — which is the most common childhood cancer — were in and out of shortage.
Since 2015, the FDA has approved more than 20 molecularly targeted therapies and more than 10 immunotherapies for pediatric cancers. While approvals still far lag behind adult cancer therapies, these breakthroughs have been life-changing for many young patients.
A 15-year trend for clinical trials on cellular therapy for children and adolescents (ages 0-19) with cancer in the US concluded that 169 (84%) of 202 trials posted 2007-2022 also included adult populations, only 3 trials enrolled children only. There was no industry funding for CNS tumors.
The median lag time from first-in-human to first-in-child trials of oncology agents that were ultimately approved by FDA was 6.5 years.
More than 90% of children and adolescents who are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States are cared for at a children’s cancer center that is affiliated with the NCI-supported Children’s Oncology Group (COG). Children’s Oncology Group is the world’s largest organization that performs clinical research to improve the care and treatment of children and adolescents with cancer. Each year, approximately 4,000 children who are diagnosed with cancer enroll in a COG-sponsored clinical trial.
Psychosocial Care and Quality of Life Impacts
Childhood cancer threatens every aspect of the family's life and the possibility of a future, which is why optimal cancer treatment must include psychosocial care. For children and families, treating the pain, symptoms, and stress of cancer enhances quality of life and is as important as treating the disease.
The provision of psychosocial care has been shown to yield better management of common disease-related symptoms and adverse effects of treatment such as pain and fatigue. Depression and other psychosocial concerns can affect adherence to treatment regimens by impairing cognition, weakening motivation, and decreasing coping abilities.
Childhood cancer survivors reported higher rates of pain, fatigue, and sleep difficulties compared with siblings and peers, all of which are associated with poorer quality of life.
Changes in routines disrupt day-to-day functioning of siblings. Siblings of children with cancer are at risk for emotional and behavioral difficulties, such as anxiety, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder.
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are well documented for parents whose children have completed cancer treatment.
Chronic grief has been associated with many psychological (e.g., depression and anxiety) and somatic symptoms (e.g., loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, fatigue), including increased mortality risk.
Cancer survivors in the United States reported medication use for anxiety and depression at rates nearly two times those reported by the general public, likely a reflection of greater emotional and physical burdens from cancer or its treatment.
Financial hardship during childhood cancer has been found to affect a significant proportion of the population and to negatively impact family well being. Approximately 1 in 5 children who receive a new diagnosis of childhood cancer are already living in poverty. During treatment, one in four families lose more than 40% of their annual household income as a result of childhood cancer treatment-related work disruption, while one in three families face other work disruptions such as having to quit work or change jobs.
Adolescents with cancer experienced significantly more Health Related Hindrance (HRH) of personal goals than healthy peers, and their HRH was significantly associated with poorer health-related quality of life, negative affect, and depressive symptoms.
Parents have been found to report significant worsening of all their own health behaviors, including poorer diet and nutrition, decreased physical activity, and less time spent engaged in enjoyable activities 6 to 18 months following their child’s diagnosis.
Sources:
Coalition Against Childhood Cancer
American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures 2025
AACR Pediatric Cancer Progress Report 2025