Most Common Cancers that Develop in Children

Top 5 Most Common Cancers that Develop in Children

If you know of a child who’s been diagnosed with cancer, you may have wondered what the most common cancers that develop in children are. Cancer is a general term that’s given to diseases that are characterized by the uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells.

Over the past years, more and more people have become increasingly aware of the cancers that affect adults such as those that start in the lungs, breast, colon, prostate, and skin. Unfortunately, only a few know about childhood cancer.

Fast Facts about Childhood Cancer

Did you know that about 43 children are diagnosed with cancer every day and that the average age of children who receive this diagnosis is 6? Furthermore, over 40,000 youngsters undergo cancer treatment each year while 12% of kids who have cancer lose their lives to it.

As of today, there are about 375,000 childhood cancer survivors in the United States and 60% of those who survive it suffer its late effects such as heart failure, infertility, and other secondary cancers.

What are the Top 5 Most Common Childhood Cancers?

Now, back to where we left off. If you’ve been wondering about the most common cancer types that affect children and teenagers, check out this list:

• Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

ALL typically affects children between ages 2 to 4, making it the most common type of childhood cancer among boys. It affects the blood and the bone marrow. Under normal circumstances, the bone marrow produces stem cells that eventually turn into blood cells called lymphocytes that are responsible for fighting infection by attacking harmful bacteria.

However, if a child has ALL, his stem cells don’t mature into normal blood cells. Instead, they turn into immature white blood cells called lymphoblasts. The usual symptoms of ALL include sudden weight loss, fever, bleeding, fatigue, bone and joint pain, and weakness.

• Brain and spinal cord tumors

Making up 27% of all childhood cancers, brain and spinal cord tumors are the most common solid tumors that occur in the brain and the brain stem. Symptoms include balance problems, dizziness, frequent vomiting, headaches, and vision, speech or hearing problems.

• Neuroblastoma

This cancer commonly occurs in children below 5 years old, affecting the message network between the brain and the various parts of the body. Tumors are usually found in the neck, abdomen or pelvis. Its symptoms include painful sensations in various parts of the body, high blood pressure, diarrhea, changes in the eyes (droopy eyelids, dark circles, bulging), and impaired ability to walk.

• Wilms Tumor

The tumors grow in the kidneys of children ages 3 to 4 years old and account for over 5% of all childhood cancers. In the U.S., approximately 500 new cases are diagnosed in a year, with 95% of the affected children getting cured with minimal treatment. Its symptoms include fever, nausea, pain, poor appetite, and a lump in the belly.

• Lymphoma (including Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin)

These cancers occur in the cells found in the immune system called lymphocytes. Its two main types are Hodgkin lymphoma (which rarely affects children below 5 years old) and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (which rarely affects children below 3 years of age). Symptoms include weight loss, sweating, fever, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit, and groin.

One Way to Help

Do you have a soft spot for children who have cancer and other serious illnesses? If you do, consider donating your unwanted vehicle to us at Kids Car Donations. We are an online vehicle donation platform whose sole mission is to save and transform the lives of children facing physical, mental, and emotional challenges.

We will sell your donated vehicle through auction and use the proceeds to provide critical funding for the services delivered by our charity partners. These services include medical treatment, access to free educational and social service resources, emotional well-being projects, and essential quality of life programs.

You will also personally benefit from your vehicle donation since you’ll get to receive a top tax deduction after your vehicle gets sold at auction. This is because our partners where the funding from your donation will go to are all IRS certified 501(c)3 charities, which means your vehicle donation is 100% tax deductible.

For more information about Kids Car Donations and our car donations program, check out our FAQs page. For inquiries, you may call us at our toll-free hotline 866-634-8395 or send us a message online.

You can make your car donation by filling out our secure online donation form here or calling us directly. We accept vehicle donations anywhere in the United States since we have car donation programs in all 50 states.

Let’s Make Life Better for Our Kids

Now that you know the most common cancers that develop in children, providing assistance to those kids facing serious problems by donating an unneeded vehicle to us should not be a difficult decision to make—especially if it will also benefit you in more ways than one. Call us at 866-634-8395 and make life better for our children.