Although cancer in children and adolescents is rare, it is the leading cause of death by disease after infancy among children in the United States. It is estimated that, in 2024, a total of 14,910 children and adolescents ages 0 to 19 will be diagnosed with cancer and 1,590 will die of the disease in the United States (1). Among children (ages 0 to 14 years), it is estimated that 9,620 will be diagnosed with cancer and 1040 will die of the disease. And among adolescents (ages 15 to 19 years), it is estimated that 5,290 will be diagnosed with cancer and 550 will die of the disease.
In the United States, the most common types of cancer diagnosed in 2016–2020 among children and adolescents were leukemias, malignant brain and other central nervous system (CNS) tumors, lymphomas, epithelial neoplasms and melanomas, soft tissue tumors, malignant germ cell tumors, and bone tumors.
The most common types of cancer among children and adolescents differed by age group. For example, leukemias were more common in those ages 1 to 4 than in other age groups and lymphomas were more common in those ages 15 to 19 than in other age groups.
Rates of the most common types of childhood and adolescent cancer also differ by race/ethnicity. For example, in 2017–2021, the incidence rate of leukemia was about twice as high in Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native children and adolescents as in Black children and adolescents. During the same time period, the rates of brain and other nervous system tumors were higher in White and American Indian/Alaska Native children and adolescents than in those of all other racial and ethnic groups.
As of January 1, 2020 (the most recent date for which data exist), approximately 495,739 survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer (diagnosed at ages 0 to 19 years) were estimated to be alive in the United States.
