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2. The Epidemiology of Childhood Cancer
Pages 20-36

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From page 20...
... are known to increase the risk of developing some childhood cancers, but for most cases of childhood cancer, the cause remains unknown. Childhood cancers are classified primarily by histology into 12 major categories using the International Classification of Childhood Cancers (ICCC)
From page 21...
... tumors make up the second largest category of neoplasms in children, accounting for 17 percent of childhood cancers. More than half of all CNS malignancies in children and adolescents are a type of brain tumor known as astrocytomas (tumors that arise from star-shaped brain cells call astroctyes)
From page 22...
... Figures are based on weighted data rounded to the nearest individual, so categories may not add to totals. Mortality data are not published on the age group 0 to 19 or 15 to 19.
From page 23...
... THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CHILDHOOD CANCER ng 23 Age 5-14 years Age 15-24 years Rate Rankb Number Rate Rankb Number Rate 32.6 7,340 18.5 30,959 80.7 11.7 1 2,878 7.3 1 13,616 35.5 4.2 1,716 4.3 10,357 27.0 7.6 1,163 2.9 3,259 8.5 3.1 3 387 1.0 6 425 1.1 2.6 2 1,017 2.6 4 1,668 4.3 2.1 4 364 0.9 2 4,796 12.5 1.1 6 236 0.6 5 931 2.4 0.6 9 83 0.2 8 188 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.4 8 106 0.3 0.3 10 78 0.2 7 193 0.5 -- 7 130 0.3 9 180 0.5 —- - - - 10 178 0.5 -- 5 297 0.7 3 3,877 10.1 9.5 - 1,764 4.4 - 4,907 12.8 aBased on the Tenth Revision, International Classification of Diseases, 1992. bRank based on number of deaths.
From page 24...
... Sometimes these cells travel to the chest or abdomen where they may turn into a rare type of cancer called extragonadal germ cell tumor. Incidence rates and survival duration for these cancers has increased between 1975 and 1997; the 5-year survival rate now ranges between 75 and 94 percent for germ cell tumors.
From page 25...
... Cancers in this category account for 5 percent of childhood cancers and are the most common cancers diagnosed in the first year of life. Neuroblastoma accounts for virtually all cases of cancer in this category.
From page 26...
... The incidence rate of all childhood cancers combined increased from the early 1970s when rates were first measured by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program of the National Cancer Institute until 1991 and then leveled off and declined slightly through 1999 (Figure 2.4~.
From page 27...
... SOUkEF: ACS, 2000. Data Tom the Survedlanco, Fpidemiology, and End kesuRs Program (SFFk~ Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute.
From page 28...
... . Year of Diagnos.i.~h FIGURE 2.4 Age-adjusted cancer incidence and mortality rates (age 0-19)
From page 29...
... Lymphocytic leukemia and CNS tumors are the predominant cancers among children under age 15. Hodgkin's disease, epithelial and other unspecified cancers, germ cell, trophoblastic, and other gonadal neoplasms are the predominant cancers among those age 15 to 19 (Figure 2.8~.
From page 30...
... Estimates from the 2000 National Health Interview Survey of the number of children under age 18 with selected relatively common impairments and health conditions are
From page 31...
... SOURCE: Adapted from American Cancer Society, 2000, based on data from Cancer in North America, 1991-1995, North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. shown in Table 2.3, which helps put childhood cancer survivorship into perspective relative to other populations with special health care needs.
From page 32...
... The 1997 population estimates will be revised in 2002 using Census 2000 data and overall prevalence estimates will likely decline somewhat because evidence suggests that population estimates made mid-Census were too low. Cancer prevalence refers to the number and distribution of individuals alive today with a current or prior diagnosis of cancer.
From page 33...
... ? " SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, 2002, National Health Interview Survey, 2000 (machine readable data file and documentation)
From page 34...
... The latency period for progression to invasive, metastatic cancer is relatively long for carcinomas, perhaps 10 to 30 years. Childhood cancers have a latency period of 1 to 10 years and many appear to derive from embryonic "accidents." Histologically, Wilms' tumor of the kidney resembles fetal kidney tissue that normally evolves into normal mature kidney tissue by birth or early infancy.
From page 35...
... This translates to about 1 in 810 individuals under age 20 having a history of cancer, and 1 in 640 adults ages 20 to 39 having such a history. Childhood cancers are a diverse set of conditions, but three predominant types make up the majority of diagnosed cases: leukemia; CNS and brain tumors; and lymphomas.
From page 36...
... Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Ries LAG, Smith MA, Gurney JG, Linet M, Tamra T


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