There are more than 100 types of childhood cancer, different from adults. The frequency varies depending on age: early childhood for nephroblastomas, neuroblastomas and rhabdomyosarcomas, later on for bone tumors and lymphomas. The most frequently observed tumors are leukemias which represent 30 % of all malignancies, followed by central nervous system tumors (20 %).
LEUKEMIA
There are 2 big groupings of childhood leukemia: lymphoblastic leukemia which represents approximately 85% of cases, and the much rarer myeloblastic leukemia. Initiated in the 70s, multi-drug therapies currently permit, and thanks to the progress associated treatments (antibiotics, transfusion support, use of central catheters), a cure rate of 80 % in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, with variations in prognosis depending on the sub-type. Acute myeloblastic leukemia currently has a cure rate of about 50%.
