Global burden of cancer in children and adolescents aged 0–19 years, 1990–2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023
Jasvinder Singh Bhatti
Sayeh Ezzikouri
Ali Hasanpour- Dehkordi
Takeshi Fukumoto
Seyyed Shamsadin Athari
Hala Rashad Elhabashy
Aleksandr Y. Aravkin
Paul Narh Doku
Dariush Haghmorad
Theophilus I. Emeto
Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe
Nermin Ghith
Anis Ahmad Chaudhary
Mahwish Arooj
Hamidreza Hasani
Robert Kaba Alhassan
Salahdein Aburuz
Lucas Guimarães Abreu
Saeid Anvari
Muhammad Sohail Afzal
Jonathan M. Kocarnik
Mosab Arafat
Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan
Hanadi Al Hamad
Ayesha Fahim
Mohammad Farahmand
Lisa M. Force
Adewale Oluwaseun Fadaka
Nadia M. Hamdy
Demelash Areda
Veer Bala Gupta
Maha Moh'd Wahbi Atout
Natalie Pritchett
Souad Bouaoud
Ayman Ahmed
Aso Mohammad Darwesh
Cem Bilgin
Dong Woo Choi
Wafa A. Aldhaleei
Awais Altaf
Ferrán Catalá-López
Danish Ahmad
Bashir Dabo
Rakhi Dandona
Mohammed Albashtawy
Mohamed Abouzid
Omotayo Francis Fagbule
Shirin Barati
Soham Bandyopadhyay
Ahmed Y. Azzam
Abdulfatai Aremu
Teferi Gebru Gebremeskel
Arvin Haj-Mirzaian
Catherine Bisignano
Aragaw Tesfaw Desale
Benedetta Armocida
Hasan Aalruz
Kayleigh Bhangdia
Isaac Sunday Chukwu
Md Kamrul Hasan
Promit Ananyo Chakraborty
Louise Penberthy
Maryam Bemanalizadeh
Robert Kokou Dowou
Giulia Carreras
Xiaochen Dai
Maysaa El Sayed Zaki
Johannes Haubold
Mohammad Asghari-Jafarabadi
Fatemeh Afrashteh
John Dube
Ali Hasanpour- Dehkordi
Shahkaar Aziz
Logan M. Glasstetter
Genanew K. Getahun
Sri Harsha Boppana
Alistair Acheson
Chiranjib Chakraborty
Saroja Devi Geetha
Razieh Bahreini
Yohannes Habtegiorgis Abate
Sabah Al-Marwani
Mohammad Mahdi Bastan
Samuel Demissie Darcho
Thao Huynh Phuong Do
Miglas Welay Gebregergis
Lee Deitesfeld
Abdel Rahman E'mar
Mohammed Elshaer
Lemessa Assefa A. Ayana
Chadi Eltaha
Awoke Derbie Habteyohannes
Abid Ali
Safwat Aly
Nguyen Hoang Anh
Andrew Crist
Miranda L. May
Maha Moh d.Wahbi Atout
Hasan Aalruz
Syed Anees Ahmed
Demelash Areda
Lalit Dandona
Karem H. Alzoubi
Yasser Bustanji
Publication Name: Lancet
Publication Date: 2026-04-04
Volume: 407
Issue: 10536
Page Range: 1360-1373
Description:
Background Information on childhood cancer burden is crucial for effective cancer policy planning. Unfortunately, observed paediatric cancer data are not available in every country, and previous global burden estimates have not discretely reported several common cancers of childhood. We aimed to inform efforts to address childhood cancer burden globally by analysing results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023, which now include nine additional cancer causes compared with previous GBD analyses. Methods GBD 2023 data sources for cancer estimation included population-based cancer registries, vital registration systems, and verbal autopsies. For childhood cancers (defined as those occurring at ages 0–19 years), mortality was estimated using cancer-specific ensemble models and incidence was estimated using mortality estimates and modelled mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were estimated by multiplying age-specific cancer deaths by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. Prevalence was estimated using survival estimates modelled from MIRs and multiplied by sequelae-specific disability weights to estimate years lived with disability (YLDs). Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were estimated as the sum of YLLs and YLDs. Estimates are presented globally and by geographical and resource groupings, and all estimates are presented with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Findings Globally, in 2023, there were an estimated 377 000 incident childhood cancer cases (95% UI 288 000–489 000), 144 000 deaths (131 000–162 000), and 11·7 million (10·7–13·2) DALYs due to childhood cancer. Deaths due to childhood cancer decreased by 27·0% (15·5–36·1) globally, from 197 000 (173 000–218 000) in 1990, but increased in the WHO African region by 55·6% (25·5–92·4), from 31 500 (24 900–38 500) to 49 000 (42 600–58 200) between 1990 and 2023. In 2023, age-standardised YLLs due to childhood cancer were inversely correlated with country-level Socio-demographic Index. Childhood cancer was the eighth-leading cause of childhood deaths and the ninth-leading cause of DALYs among all cancers in 2023. The percentage of DALYs due to uncategorised childhood cancers was reduced from 26·5% (26·5–26·5) in GBD 2017 to 10·5% (8·1–13·1) with the addition of the nine new cancer causes. Target cancers for the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) comprised 47·3% (42·2–52·0) of global childhood cancer deaths in 2023. Interpretation Global childhood cancer burden remains a substantial contributor to global childhood disease and cancer burden and is disproportionately weighted towards resource-limited settings. The estimation of additional cancer types relevant in childhood provides a step towards alignment with WHO GICC targets. Efforts to decrease global childhood cancer burden should focus on addressing the inequities in burden worldwide and support comprehensive improvements along the childhood cancer diagnosis and care continuum. Funding St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Gates Foundation, and St Baldrick's Foundation.
Open Access: Yes
Authors - 104
Jasvinder Singh Bhatti
14043178800
Sayeh Ezzikouri
16836144700
Ali Hasanpour- Dehkordi
24340615000
Takeshi Fukumoto
26531100300
Seyyed Shamsadin Athari
26653399600
Hala Rashad Elhabashy
34869491800
Aleksandr Y. Aravkin
35386103000
Paul Narh Doku
36089696500
Dariush Haghmorad
36101153900
Theophilus I. Emeto
36522397000
Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe
50861113000
Nermin Ghith
55249750100
Anis Ahmad Chaudhary
55419607600
Mahwish Arooj
55599732000
Hamidreza Hasani
55632123200
Robert Kaba Alhassan
55829647800
Salahdein Aburuz
55886382800
Lucas Guimarães Abreu
55937631400
Saeid Anvari
55967502900
Muhammad Sohail Afzal
56009310800
Jonathan M. Kocarnik
56041211800
Mosab Arafat
56380109600
Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan
56725310700
Hanadi Al Hamad
56955516200
Ayesha Fahim
56996903600
Mohammad Farahmand
57147377700
Lisa M. Force
57188548035
Adewale Oluwaseun Fadaka
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Nadia M. Hamdy
57190847144
Demelash Areda
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Veer Bala Gupta
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Maha Moh'd Wahbi Atout
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Natalie Pritchett
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Souad Bouaoud
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Ayman Ahmed
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Aso Mohammad Darwesh
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Cem Bilgin
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Dong Woo Choi
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Wafa A. Aldhaleei
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Awais Altaf
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Ferrán Catalá-López
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Danish Ahmad
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Bashir Dabo
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Rakhi Dandona
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Mohammed Albashtawy
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Mohamed Abouzid
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Omotayo Francis Fagbule
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Shirin Barati
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Soham Bandyopadhyay
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Ahmed Y. Azzam
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Abdulfatai Aremu
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Teferi Gebru Gebremeskel
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Arvin Haj-Mirzaian
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Catherine Bisignano
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Aragaw Tesfaw Desale
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Benedetta Armocida
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Hasan Aalruz
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Kayleigh Bhangdia
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Isaac Sunday Chukwu
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Md Kamrul Hasan
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Promit Ananyo Chakraborty
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Louise Penberthy
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Maryam Bemanalizadeh
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Robert Kokou Dowou
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Giulia Carreras
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Xiaochen Dai
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Maysaa El Sayed Zaki
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Johannes Haubold
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Mohammad Asghari-Jafarabadi
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Fatemeh Afrashteh
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John Dube
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Ali Hasanpour- Dehkordi
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Shahkaar Aziz
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Logan M. Glasstetter
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Genanew K. Getahun
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Sri Harsha Boppana
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Alistair Acheson
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Chiranjib Chakraborty
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Saroja Devi Geetha
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Razieh Bahreini
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Yohannes Habtegiorgis Abate
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Sabah Al-Marwani
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Mohammad Mahdi Bastan
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Samuel Demissie Darcho
58825537100
Thao Huynh Phuong Do
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Miglas Welay Gebregergis
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Lee Deitesfeld
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Abdel Rahman E'mar
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Mohammed Elshaer
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Lemessa Assefa A. Ayana
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Chadi Eltaha
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Awoke Derbie Habteyohannes
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Abid Ali
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Safwat Aly
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Nguyen Hoang Anh
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Andrew Crist
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Miranda L. May
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Maha Moh d.Wahbi Atout
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Hasan Aalruz
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Syed Anees Ahmed
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Demelash Areda
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Lalit Dandona
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Karem H. Alzoubi
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Yasser Bustanji
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