Childhood cancer leads to more than 11 million years of healthy life lost

More than 11 million years of healthy life were lost around the world in 2017 due to childhood cancer, according to new research. Researchers looked at cancer data from 195 countries and found that although the overall childhood cancer burden was relatively low — there were about 417,000 cases — the actual burden varied depending on the country. Low- and middle-income countries had more than 80% of all cases, and most of these cases ended in deaths and the five-year survival rate was around 35%. In contrast, the five-year survival rate in high-income countries was around 80%. Leukemias accounted for about a third of all cancer cases, followed by brain and nervous system cancers. The findings underscore the need for strategies to address the disproportionate burden of childhood cancer experienced by countries with fewer resources, the authors write.