Global study reveals major inequalities in childhood cancer survival
Children with cancer face very different chances of survival depending on where in the world they live. A new international study reveals dramatic differences – and points to what is needed to save more lives.
Hovedinnhold
An international study based on data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has analyzed outcomes for nearly 17,000 children across 23 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The results reveal striking disparities:
- In Puerto Rico, almost 80% of children with central nervous system tumors survive three years after diagnosis.
- In Algeria, the figure is just 32%.
- For leukemia, the gap is even wider: from 30% in Kenya to 90% in Puerto Rico.
These differences are closely linked to countries’ development levels and health systems. Late diagnosis, limited treatment options, poor quality of care, and treatment interruptions are among the main causes.
Many countries also lack reliable cancer registries, making it difficult to assess the true scale of the problem.
“The large survival gap – from over 80% in high-income countries to below 40% in some low- and middle-income countries – shows how urgent it is to act,” says Dagrun Slettebø Daltveit, first author of the study and researcher at the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen.
WHO sets ambitious target
The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a bold goal: by 2030, at least 60% of children with cancer should survive.
“To achieve this, countries must invest in population-based cancer registries to measure disease burden and monitor progress,” emphasizes Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Head at IARC.
The study provides critical benchmarks for tracking improvements and demonstrates that many lives can be saved through early diagnosis and effective treatment.
“Our findings support WHO’s 60% survival target by 2030. Success will require strong investment in cancer registries and health infrastructure,” adds Daltveit.
About the study
The research is part of the project Cancer Survival in Countries in Transition (SURVCAN-3), initiated by IARC in collaboration with the Global Initiative on Cancer Registry Development (GICR).
Link to the publication: academic.oup.com/jnci/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jnci/djaf321/8378336
