Childhood cancer is usually defined as cancer diagnosed before age 15.
| All childhood cancer | Childhood leukaemia | The small print | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of cases per year | 1416 | 454 | Great Britain 1989-1998, rates standardised to a uniform population |
| Average annual incidence rate | 131 per million | 42 per million | |
| Average annual risk | 1 in 7,600 | 1 in 24,000 | |
| Annual risk for ages 1-4, the peak years | 1 in 5,500 | 1 in 13,000 | |
| Total childhood risk | 1 in 500 | 1 in 1600 | 0-14 years of age, a total of 15 years |
| Survival rate | 73% | 77% | Survival for 5 years after diagnosis; some patients will still die after this |
| Deaths per year | 352 | 114 | Great Britain 1997-2001 |
- The boy: girl ratio is about 1.2 for all cancers and 1.3 for leukaemia
- Leukaemias make up 32% of childhood cancer cases. The next most common cancer is brain and spinal tumours at 24%.
These figures come from various statistics published by Cancer Research UK.
What causes these cancers?
This whole site is devoted to whether magnetic fields or the power lines that are one source of them are a risk factor for disease. See in particular the evidence on childhood leukaemia and other childhood cancers. We also have a page discussing some other possible causes.