• Childhood cancer research is vastly and consistently underfunded.
  • Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15 in the U.S.
  • One in 285 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer by the time they are 20 years old.
  • Every year, an estimated 250,000+ new cases of cancer affect children under the age of 20 worldwide.
  • Childhood cancer occurs regularly, randomly and spares no ethnic group; socioeconomic class; or geographic region. In the United States, the incidence of cancer among adolescents and young adults is increasing at a greater rate than any other age group, except those over 65 years.
  • Childhood cancer is not just one disease. It is made up of a dozen types and countless subtypes.
  • Every day, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer.
  • 12% of children diagnosed with cancer do not survive.
  • The average age of children diagnosed is six.
  • More than 40,000 children undergo treatment for cancer each year.
  • 60% of children who survive cancer suffer late-effects, such as infertility, heart failure and secondary cancers.
  • There are approximately 375,000 adult survivors of children’s cancer in the United States.
  • That equates to 1 in 530 adults ages 20-39.

Pediatric Brain Tumor Facts

  • A childhood brain or spinal cord tumor is a disease in which abnormal cells form in the tissues of the brain or spinal cord.
  • Brain and spinal cord tumors are a common type of childhood cancer.
  • The cause of most childhood brain and spinal cord tumors is unknown.
  • The signs and symptoms of childhood brain and spinal cord tumors are not the same in every child.
  • Tests that examine the brain and spinal cord are used to detect (find) childhood brain and spinal cord tumors.
  • Most childhood brain tumors are diagnosed and removed in surgery.
  • Some childhood brain and spinal cord tumors are diagnosed by imaging tests.
  • Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery).

Brain Tumor Signs and Symptoms

  • Morning headache or headache that goes away after vomiting.
  • Frequent nausea and vomiting.
  • Vision, hearing, and speech problems.
  • Loss of balance and trouble walking.
  • Unusual sleepiness or change in activity level.
  • Unusual changes in personality or behavior.
  • Seizures.
  • Increase in the head size (in infants).

Spinal Cord Tumor Signs and Symptoms

  • Back pain or pain that spreads from the back towards the arms or legs.
  • A change in bowel habits or trouble urinating.
  • Weakness in the legs.
  • Trouble walking.

References:

National Cancer Institute

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation

CureSearch for Children’s Cancer