Cancer in children
4,200 children and young adults are diagnosed with cancer in the UK each year. There are around 1,900 new cases of childhood cancer in the UK every year, spread across 76 types of children’s cancer that can be put in 12 main groups. The most common are: leukaemia (30%), brain, CNS and intracranial tumours (20%) and lymphomas (11%). There are around 2,600 new cancer cases in young people in the UK every year, that’s around 7 every day.
The types of cancer affecting children are quite different from the cancers that affect teenagers and young adults (TYA); TYA cancers are different again from the types of cancer that typically affect adults aged 25+.
Thanks to investment in research and treatment, survival has increased dramatically over the past 50 years and four out of five young cancer patients can be successfully treated.
Below you will find information about the different types of cancer which can affect children, teenagers and young adults.
These statistics were provided by Cancer Research UK (October 2019).
Watch our video
In this video we meet: Ellen, a young cancer survivor with a powerful and unique story to tell, Christiana, Head of Research at Children with Cancer UK, who will explain a little of how Children with Cancer UK works with researchers and how it decides where the grants are placed, Professor Bruce Morland one of our Trustees who explains exactly what research actually is and Sharon, mum to Harry.
Most Common Children's Cancer Types by proportion of overall child cancer rates
Leukaemia
30%
Other Carcinomas and Melanomas
4%
Brain and spinal nervous system tumours
26%
Germ Cell and gonadal tumours
4%
Lymphomas
11%
Retinoblastoma
3%
Soft tissue sarcomas
6%
Liver tumours
1%
CNS tumours
5%
Other
1%
Kidney tumours
5%
How does cancer affect children and young people?
Read personal journeys and first-hand experiences about different cancer types from our hero patients and their incredible families.
Read more
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