Causes of Cancer

Typically occuring in the first year of life, childhood cancer is relatively rare. Overall incidence rates of cancer are essentially equal between females and males, however Caucasian infants are statistically at higher risk than African-American and Asian American infants. Survival rates are very good for infants diagnosed with Wilms' tumor and neuroblastoma and somewhat good for leukemia, but not for most other cancer types.

There are some studies which conclude that some types of cancer are on the rise. Leukemia is the most common infant malignancy, followed by neuroblastoma, cancers affecting the central nervous system, Wilms' tumor, lymphomas, rhabdomyosarcoma (from muscle), osteosarcoma retinoblastoma, and Ewing's sarcoma.

Cancer is not an infectious disease and mostly not inherited. The chances are slim that more than one child in a single family will develop cancer. Only in the case of acute lympholblastic leukaemia are brothers and sisters are at a slightly increased risk of developing it themsselves.

The cause of childhood cancer remains largely a mystery. Some researchers believe some forms of cancer start while the fetus in question is still developing and rapid cell division is in progress. Other forms of cancer can occur after the child is exposed to certain viruses such as that which causes glandular fever. A rare cause is some cancer treatments, especially radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which can cause different types of cancer to develop after recovery from the first type of cancer.

Children with certain genetic conditions such as Down Syndrome can increase the risk of getting leukemia, and retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer is known to be inherited in 40% of cases.  Children with the inherited form of retinoblastoma are at a slightly higher risk of developing other tumours later in life.