WHO: annually about 230 thousand children are diagnosed with cancer in the world

More than 200 thousand children in the world annually fall ill with cancer, but these data are underestimated, said at a press conference the coordinator of the division of noncommunicable diseases of the Russian office of WHO Elena Yurasova.

"Last year, information was received that the data on the number of children with cancer have been grossly underestimated. At present time it is estimated that each year about 230 thousand children is taken ill with cancer. And here there is a tendency to consider and to include in the concept of childhood cancer even teenagers up to 19 years. In general we can say that... each year, about 215 thousand children under the age of 15 is taken ill with cancer, and another 85 thousand children from 15 to 19 years. Every year about 100 thousand children die of cancer," said Yurasova, noting that in countries with high healthcare spending survive eight children out of ten cases.
She noted that the problem is in calculation: often in developing countries do not keep records, so just count the number of children with cancer is difficult.