Overview
- A new Lancet analysis estimates 377,000 new childhood cancer cases and 144,000 deaths in 2023, making it the eighth leading cause of child death worldwide.
- The burden fell hardest on low- and middle-income countries, which accounted for 85% of cases, 94% of deaths, and 94% of years of healthy life lost.
- In India, the study estimates about 17,000 child deaths in 2023, ranking childhood cancer tenth among causes of child mortality, with national data citing 50,000–60,000 new cases each year.
- The study reports a 27% decline in global childhood cancer deaths since 1990, though deaths rose by 55.6% in Africa over the same period.
- Researchers and clinicians urge governments to add childhood cancer to national cancer control plans and to expand early diagnosis, essential therapies, supportive care, trained staff, and reliable cancer registries.