The short answer
Cancer in children is rare and is treated differently from cancer in adults. The most common childhood cancers are leukemias, brain and other central nervous system tumors, and lymphomas. Most children are treated at children's cancer centers, and survival has improved greatly over the past 50 years.
Childhood cancer is rare — about 9,550 new cases a year in U.S. children ages 0 to 14.
The most common types are leukemias, brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumors, and lymphomas.
Children's cancers are often not treated the same way as adult cancers; pediatric oncology is its own specialty.
Cancer death rates in children have fallen about 70% since 1970 because of research and clinical trials.
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The full explanation.
The simple version
A cancer diagnosis is frightening at any age. It is especially so when the patient is a child. Childhood cancer is rare. It is treated by doctors who specialize in caring for children. And treatment has improved a great deal over the past 50 years. This page is a starting point, not a replacement for your child's care team.
How common it is
The newest count NCI publishes for this age group is still the one for 2025: about 9,550 new cancer cases among children from birth to 14 years in the United States, and about 1,050 deaths. Yearly counts like these are American Cancer Society projections that NCI carries; SEER Stat Facts has no combined childhood page, so no 2026 version of this number exists yet. Cancer death rates for children fell by 70 percent from 1970 through 2020, an NCI measurement. Even so, cancer is still the leading cause of death from disease among children.
Childhood cancer is rare, and survival has improved greatly over the last 50 years.
The most common types
The most common cancers in children ages 0 to 14 are:
- Leukemias, which are cancers of the blood-forming cells.
- Brain and other central nervous system (CNS) tumors.
- Lymphomas, which are cancers of the lymph system.
Why children are treated differently
Children's cancers are not always treated like adult cancers. Pediatric oncology is the medical specialty for children with cancer. Children may get more intense treatment. Their growing bodies respond differently. They may also react differently to medicines that control symptoms in adults.
Where to find help
Most children are treated at children's cancer centers. Many of those belong to the Children's Oncology Group (COG), which NCI supports. COG is the largest group in the world running research to improve care for children with cancer. At these centers, clinical trials are open for most childhood cancers, and many families are offered a place in one.
NCI's Cancer Information Service can help you find a COG hospital and ask about trials. Call 1-800-4-CANCER.
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Common questions
How common is cancer in children?
It is rare. In the United States, an estimated 9,550 new cases are diagnosed each year among children from birth to age 14. Even so, cancer remains the leading cause of death from disease in this age group.
What are the most common childhood cancers?
The most common types in children ages 0 to 14 are leukemias, brain and other central nervous system (CNS) tumors, and lymphomas.
Is childhood cancer treated like adult cancer?
Not always. Children's cancers can behave differently and children's growing bodies respond differently to treatment, so pediatric oncology is a distinct medical specialty.
Are childhood cancers curable?
Many are. Cancer death rates for children fell about 70% from 1970 through 2020, and there are effective treatments for many childhood cancers.
What causes cancer in children?
The causes of most childhood cancers are not known. About 8 to 10% are linked to an inherited gene change passed from a parent.
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Last updated: 2026-08-18Next planned review: 2027-07-21
How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
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Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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