Pediatric Oncology

Pediatric oncology is the branch of medicine deals with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in children. Globally, it is estimated that childhood cancer has a mortality rate of about 96,000 per year out of more than 175,000 affected children. In developed countries, childhood cancer has a mortality of approximately 20% of cases and it is 80-90% in the underdeveloped countries.

The most common cancers in children are

• Brain tumors (18%)
• Leukemia (32%)
• Lymphomas (11%)

Other, less common childhood cancers are

• Neuroblastoma (6%)
• Wilms tumor (5%)
• Retinoblastoma (3%)
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (4%)
• Germ cell tumors (5%)
• Childhood rhabdomyosarcoma (3%)
• Osteosarcoma (3%)
• Ewing sarcoma (1%)
• Pleuropulmonary blastoma (lung or pleural cavity)
• Hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma

Global Organizations that focused on childhood cancer and/or support programs include:

• Childhood Cancer Canada
• CLIC Sargent and the Children's Cancer
• Leukaemia Group (United Kingdom)
• Child Cancer Foundation (New Zealand)
• Children's Cancer Recovery Foundation (United States)
• American Childhood Cancer Organization(United States)
• Childhood Cancer Support (Australia)
• The Hayim Association (in Israel)