Health topics

The Children's Memorial Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases is the Midwest's largest provider of services for all forms of cancer, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, hemophilia and bleeding disorders, and for stem cell transplantation.

The most common childhood cancers are leukemia, lymphoma, and brain cancer. As children enter their teen years, there is also an increase in the incidence of osteosarcoma (bone cancer). The sites of cancer are different for each type, as are treatment and cure rates.

Because no two patients or families are alike, it is impossible to address in these pages every issue or situation that will arise. Our purpose here is provide an overview of major childhood cancers, how they happen, how they are typically diagnosed and treated.