Childhood leukemia: how a deadly cancer became treatable

Summary

Childhood leukemia: how a deadly cancer became treatableBefore the 1970s, most children affected by leukemia would quickly die from it. Now, most children in rich countries are cured.In the past, when I’d hear the words childhood leukemia, I’d picture a young child who suddenly became seriously ill, and whose parents were told their child had only a few years to live.I’d wonder how a child might grasp the idea of limited time, or how painful it must have been to face the possibility of missing out on growing up, discovering who they are, and forming deep friendships. It would also be a tragic experience for their family, friends, and classmates, who might struggle to understand what’s happening.This picture, reflected in films, books, and television, depicts what used to be a grim reality. Childhood leukemia was fatal for the vast majority of children who developed it in the past. Before the 1970s, fewer than 10% of children diagnosed with the disease survived five years after diagnosis.But since then, this outlook has improved dramatically. In North America and Europe, around 85% now survive that long.1What made this dramatic change possible? In this article, I’ll describe the progress achieved and some concrete reasons behind it.This article focuses on data from North America and Europe; death rates from childhood cancers have also declined in other world regions, but remain higher.Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, and its mortality rates have been reduced substantiallyMany different types of cancer can affect children. This article focuses on leukemia, the most common type of childhood cancer.In the chart below, you can see the reduction in cancer death rates in the United States among children of different ages. The decline has been particularly large for leukemia, with a 14-fold drop, but we’ve also made much progress on other, less common childhood cancers.Explore the data for other countries in an interactive chart.Leukemia is a cancer of the bloo...