A cancer diagnosis is unwelcomed news for any family, but when a child is involved, it can be especially devastating. Here are the facts, both good and bad, about childhood cancer.
• About 13,400 children are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States and approximately 2,500 die from the disease.
• Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15 in the United States.
• One in every 330 children will be diagnosed with cancer by the time they are age 20
• More than 2/3 of childhood cancer patients will suffer long-lasting conditions from their treatment.
• There are currently about 270,000 survivors of childhood cancer in the United States.
• Fortunately, thanks to new and improved treatments, the five-year survival rate for childhood cancer has improved dramatically to 83 percent as compared to 58 percent in the mid-1970s.
Sources: American Cancer Society, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, USA Today, American Childhood Cancer Foundation