Children's cancers incidence statistics
Children's cancer incidence by gender and UK country
| There are around 1,900 new cancer cases in children every year in the UK, with around 850 new cases in girls and around 1,000 new cases in boys every year (2017-2019). |
Children's cancer incidence by age
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Children's cancers incidence rates in the UK are highest in the under-fives age group, with almost 1 in 2 (45%) of all new cancer cases being diagnosed in this age group (2017-2019). Childrens cancer usually have no known cause. For most cancer types incidence increases with age, which largely reflects cell DNA damage accumulating over time. Damage can result from biological processes or from exposure to risk factors. |
Children's cancer incidence trends over time
| Children's cancer incidence rates have increased by around a tenth (11%) in the UK since the early 2000s and rates have increased by around a tenth (9%) in the last decade (2017-2019). |
Children’s cancers are classified into 12 broad diagnostic groups (each of which can be further subdivided) according to the International Classification of Childhood Cancer, Third Edition (ICCC-3).[1] There are UK statistics for 88 distinct diagnostic subgroups of children’s cancers.[2]
The most common groups of children’s cancers in the UK are leukaemias, myeloproliferative diseases, and myelodysplastic diseases (31% of cases), CNS and miscellaneous intracranial and intraspinal neoplasms (25% of cases), and lymphomas and reticuloendothelial neoplasms (10% of cases) (1997-2016).[2]
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See also
Cancer incidence statistics for common cancers in the UK
Cancer incidence and survival statistics by cancer type for children and young people
References
- Steliarova-Foucher E, Stiller C, et al. International Classification of Childhood Cancer, third edition. Cancer 2005;103:1457-67.
- Public Health England. Children, teenagers and young adults UK cancer statistics report 2021. Accessed March 2021.
About this data
Data is for UK, 1997-2016, International Classification of Childhood Cancer, Third Edition (ICCC-3)
Last reviewed: 1 September 2021
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