Leukemia down arrow

Home > Disclaimer > leukemia

 

General Pediatric Leukemia

 

Incidence

Leukemias are the commonest form of pediatric cancer.

Incidence in Canada is 3 to 4 per 100,000 children/year.

From Canadian Cancer statistics 2011:

  • In Canada between 2003 and 2007:
    • The most commonly diagnosed childhood cancer was leukemia which accounted for 26% of all newly diagnosed cases
  • Total number of cases of leukemia: 1,716
    • Lymphoid leukemias (ALL): 73% of all (1257 new cases of ALL)
    • Acute myeloid leukemia (AML): 16% of all (269 new cases of AML)
  • Survival of those diagnosed with AML (67%) was considerably less than for those diagnosed with ALL (89%).
  • Between 2002 and 2006:
    • 124 children died of ALL
    • 67 children died of AML

 

Relative Incidence of Leukemias in Children:

Diagnosis

% Childhood

Cancer

% Childhood

Leukemia

Peak Age Group

ALL

25%

75%

2 – 4 years

AML

5%

15 – 20%

Neonate/Teen

CML

<1%

<5%

None

 

50 years ago:

  • Leukemia was almost universally fatal
  • Mean time from diagnosis of leukemia to death was only 4 months

 

Today:

  • Standard risk ALL: 90% cure
  • High Risk ALL: over 75% cure
  • AML: 50 to 60% 5 year EFS (event free survival)

 

Age-Standardized Incidence and Mortality Rates for Leukemia in Children and Youth (0–19 Years), Canada, 1985–2011:

 

Back to top

Next