I plan to return to a few Maui stories with the turtles and the local quilt shop still collecting quilts for the survivors. But not for the next two days.
Before I left for Hawaii, I had a few statistics in a folder I wanted to share here in this space. There are questions that many people wonder about about the timing and incidences of childhood cancer, and maybe they are afraid to peek at the updated statistics. Frankly, they are improving by leaps and bounds, even though I NEVER would want to see another diagnosis in my life!
Below are the main questions and the best answers that are available in 2023:
How common is cancer in children?
About 9,910 children in the United States under 15 will be diagnosed with cancer in 2023. Childhood cancer rates have been rising slightly for the past few decades but have stabilized since 2010.
Survival rates for children with cancer
Because of significant treatment advances in recent decades, 85% of children with cancer now survive five years or more. This is a huge increase since the mid-1970s when the 5-year survival rate was about 58%. Still, survival rates can vary greatly depending on the type of cancer and other factors. The survival rates for a specific type of childhood cancer can be found in our information for that cancer type.
Mortality in children with cancer
After accidents, cancer is the second leading cause of death in children ages 1 to 14. About 1,040 children under 15 are expected to die from cancer in 2023.
Can Childhood Cancers Be Prevented?
Unlike many cancers in adults, lifestyle-related risk factors (such as smoking) don't play much role in a child's cancer risk. A few environmental factors, such as radiation exposure, have been linked with an increased risk of some childhood cancers. But in some cases, exposure to radiation might be unavoidable, such as if the child needs radiation therapy to treat another cancer.
If your child does develop cancer, it's essential to know that it's extremely unlikely there is anything you or your child could have done to prevent it.
Awareness is key!
Terri
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