Most common cancers in babies vs older children vs teenagers

In babies under 12 months, the most common cancers are neuroblastoma (arising from immature nerve cells, often in the adrenal gland or abdomen), retinoblastoma (a cancer of the retina, presenting most often as a white glow in the eye in flash photographs), Wilms tumour (a kidney cancer), and infantile leukaemia (rare but more aggressive than the childhood form). Brain and spinal cord tumours can also occur in infancy. These cancers arise from foetal or embryonic cells that did not mature normally before or just after birth. Most are not linked to any preventable cause. Early recognition — for example, noticing a white pupil or feeling an abdominal mass during bathing — can lead to early evaluation and significantly better outcomes.

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is by far the most common cancer in children aged 2 to 8 years, and it is the single most common childhood cancer overall worldwide. It arises from the white blood cells in the bone marrow and spreads rapidly through the blood. The first signs — paleness, unusual tiredness, easy bruising, recurring fever, and sometimes bone pain — are easily mistaken for anaemia or a viral illness, which is why a complete blood count (CBC) is an important first test when these symptoms cluster together and persist. Wilms tumour (kidney cancer) and brain tumours are also common in this age window. Neuroblastoma and retinoblastoma, while most common in infancy, can still present in children up to age 5.

Yes — substantially different. Teenagers develop cancers more similar to young adults than to young children. The most common cancers in adolescents aged 13 to 19 include Hodgkin lymphoma (presenting as painless swollen lymph nodes in the neck or armpit), osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma (bone cancers that peak during the pubertal growth spurt), testicular cancer in teenage boys, thyroid cancer, and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (which, though less common than in early childhood, still occurs). This adolescent and young adult (AYA) age group is sometimes under-served because their cancers sit between paediatric and adult care pathways. At CION, our tumor board includes specialists experienced with both adult and childhood malignancies, so teenagers receive care calibrated to their stage of development as well as their diagnosis.

AYA stands for Adolescent and Young Adult — a clinical category that generally covers patients aged 15 to 39. Cancers in this group include Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, thyroid cancer, testicular cancer in men, cervical cancer in young women, melanoma, bone sarcomas (osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma), soft-tissue sarcomas, and acute leukaemia. This group faces unique challenges: their biology is sometimes intermediate between paediatric and adult tumours, they may respond differently to standard adult chemotherapy regimens, and they face distinct side-effect concerns — including fertility preservation — that require specialist discussion before treatment begins. CION's multidisciplinary team is experienced in addressing these concerns at every consultation.

Globally, the reported incidence of childhood cancers has risen modestly over the past few decades, though much of this increase is attributed to better diagnosis, reporting, and registration rather than a true increase in the number of cases. In India, the ICMR's National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) reports that childhood cancers account for roughly 2–4% of all cancers registered, with leukaemia, brain tumours, and lymphomas leading the list. What has genuinely changed for the better is survival: modern treatment, when started early, gives many childhood cancers a very good chance of long-term remission. Leukaemia, which was almost uniformly fatal 60 years ago, now has high remission rates in children with access to timely, well-structured treatment.

First, take a breath. A new diagnosis is overwhelming, but childhood cancers — when treated at a centre with experience and a tumour board — can have very good outcomes. The next step is a structured evaluation at a multidisciplinary centre where pathologists, radiologists, medical oncologists, and surgical oncologists review your child's case together before any treatment is recommended. At CION, every patient receives a 45-minute detailed consultation — not a rushed appointment — so you have time to understand the diagnosis, ask every question, and hear a treatment plan that has been agreed by the full team. Bring any existing scans, pathology reports, and blood results to the first appointment. You deserve decisions made for healing, not billing, and a team that will walk this journey with you.