What can be learned about childhood cancer from "Cancer statistics review 1973-1988"

Abstract

Background: National data on childhood cancer is becoming more available, but there continues to be a paucity of information.

Methods: The 1991 edition of Cancer Statistics Review was scrutinized for information on the status of pediatric cancers in the United States.

Results: The evidence indicates that in the United States, cancer among children younger than 15 years of age is increasing in incidence. In this age group, cancer is increasing equally among whites and blacks and among girls and boys. In white children, the increase appears to be largely due to increases in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and tumors of the brain and nervous system, and not to changes in Wilms tumor, soft tissue and bone sarcomas, lymphomas and Hodgkin disease, or other common malignancies of childhood. The data in the report demonstrate that the cancer mortality rate before age 15 continues to decline steadily in both sexes and both races. Despite an increase in the incidence rate of 4% between 1973-1988, the overall cancer mortality in children younger than 15 years has decreased 38%.

Conclusions: The data may be interpreted to indicate that in the United States, the current cure rate of all childhood cancers combined is between 70-90%.