The most common cancers in childhood

The most common malignancies in children include:
 * 1) acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL);
 * 2) CNS tumors;
 * 3) non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphomas (NHL);
 * 4) neuroblastomas;
 * 5) nefroblastomas (Wilms tumor);
 * 6) osteosarcomas;
 * 7) germ cell tumors.


 * The most common cancers in children under 15 years of age:
 * acute lymphoblastic leukemia (25% of tumors);
 * brain tumors (22%);
 * neuroblastoma (8%).


 * The most common cancers in adolescents (15 - 19 years):
 * malignant lymphomas (25 % tumors);
 * germ cell tumors (13 %);
 * brain tumors (10 %).


 * Characteristic symptoms of cancer:
 * fever, headache, vomiting, paleness, fatigue, bone pain, lameness, weight loss, bleeding and / or the presence of tumor resistance.


 * Solid tumors in children
 * make up more than 2/3 of cancers;
 * tumors growing from undifferentiated tissues (so-called embryonic tumor types): neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, hepatoblastoma, nefroblastoma, medulloblastoma, ets.;
 * connective tissue tumors: soft tissue and bone sarcoma;
 * carcinomas (epithelial and endothelial cell tumors) are typical of adulthood but are rare in children;
 * 2 peaks of occurrence: 0 - 5 years (embryonic types of tumors predominate) and adolescence (bone and soft tissue sarcomas, brain and testicular tumors predominate).


 * Genetic syndromes predisposing to tumors: Li-Fraumeni syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis syndrome, children with neurofibromatosis type I and II, Gardner syndrome, Lynch syndrome, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, tuberous sclerosis etc.