Scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) are engaged in the World Health Organization’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) through the IARC GICC Team and the numerous projects led by IARC researchers focused on understanding and reducing the global burden of childhood cancer.
The term “childhood cancer” refers to a wide range of cancer types that develop mainly in people younger than 20 years. Leukaemias, lymphomas, and central nervous system tumours are the most common cancer types in children.
Some environmental factors, such as radiation, are known to increase the risk of cancer in children, but the causes of most childhood cancers are still unknown. More research is crucial to improve the understanding of how and why cancer develops in children.
Visit the IARC International Childhood Cancer Day 2024 webpage