This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Childhood cancer incidence rises globally by 13 per cent
According to a study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), published in Lancet Oncology, childhood cancers have risen across the globe by 13 per cent over 20 years.
Currently, the rate of cancer in children is comparatively rare. Occurrences of childhood cancer are usually by something in the child’s genetic makeup than by anything to do with lifestyle or the environment.
The researchers maintain that part of the reason for the rise is thought likely to be better detection.
The IARC said the numbers recorded in cancer registries around the world have gone up since the 1980s. Between 2001-2010, there were 140 children in every million who were diagnosed with cancer under the age of 14, which represents a 13 per cent increase.
IARC cited that there were 185 adolescents in every million diagnosed with cancer, most commonly lymphomas, which are cancers of the white blood cells.
Christopher Wild, IARC’s director, explained: “Cancer is a significant cause of death in children and adolescents, in spite of its relatively rare occurrence before the age of 20 years. This extensive new set of information on the pattern and incidence of cancer in young people is vital to raise awareness and to better understand and combat this neglected area of health early in life.”
Anna Perman, Cancer Research UK’s senior science information manager, commented: “It’s likely that this reported rise in children’s cancers is, in part, due to improvements in diagnosis. We now have a better understanding of the symptoms of children’s cancers, which helps doctors to spot those who might have gone undiagnosed before.
“It’s unlikely environmental factors that children are exposed to either early in life or during development in the womb play a big role in this rise. Although some environmental and lifestyle factors that do play a role in cancer are on the rise, these usually take many years to influence cancer risk and would be unlikely to cause cancer at a young age.”
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