Cancer

Cancer is a disease in which cells grow and divide uncontrollably. The many different types of cancer usually are named for the part of the body where they begin. Cancer can spread from one part of the body to another.

As with adults, cancer in children is the result of a cell change, or mutation, and growth.

The cause of a child’s cancer often is unknown. It could be a random genetic mutation. This kind of mutation might be present at birth or the result of exposure to something in the environment.

More than 15,700 children are diagnosed with cancer annually. More than 90 percent are expected to survive the disease.