The figure shows the relative frequency of malignant diseases occurring in patients (younger than 15 years) reported between 1993 and 2002 according to the most frequent diagnosis groups (German Childhood Cancer Registry, Annual Report 2003). With 33.4% the various forms of leukaemias belong to the most frequently occurring malignant diseases. Brain tumours (20.8%) and lymphomas (12.4%) are also frequently diagnosed. When comparing the relative frequency of malignant diseases in children with that of adults, it can be seen that leukaemias and malignant lymphomas are predominantly found (46%) during childhood, followed by tumours of the central nervous system (CNS) and sarcomas of soft tissues and bones, whereas carcinomas are extremely rare (1%). Thus, there are significant differences in the relative frequency of malignant tumours in children and adults (more than 90% carcinomas).
Epidemiology and incidence of malignant diseases in children and young adults
Author: Dr. med. Gesche Tallen, erstellt 2003/07/24, Editor: Prof. Dr. med. Ursula Creutzig, zuletzt geändert: 2006/05/23
During the first five years, the risk of suffering from a malignant disease is approximately twice as high as in later years of childhood and adolescence. This indicates that a large part of tumours are of prenatal disposition. These tumours are referred to as embryonal tumours (neuroblastoma, nephroblastoma, retinoblastoma, medulloblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, germ cell tumour, hepatoblastoma). Half of these diseases are diagnosed during the first four years of childhood. Adolescents, however, show more often bone tumours and Hodgkin lymphomas. Please find below links to more detailed information on the malignant diseases typical for children and adolescents.
