Children's Cancer

Cancer Australia is undertaking a range of initiatives to increase Australia’s capacity to support quality research and give hope to children with cancer and their families.

Cancer is the leading cause of death from disease in children in Australia and survival rates for some cancers common among children have not improved in more than 25 years.

The Australian Government announced funding of $5.8 million to Cancer Australia in the 2017-2018 Budget to fight childhood cancer through increased research capacity to advance the diagnosis, treatment, management and analysis of childhood cancer, improve outcomes for low survival childhood cancer, and to improve data and awareness.

Cancer Australia is also fast-tracking international research collaborations of paediatric brain cancer in Australia.

Fighting childhood cancer objectives

There are no known preventive measures for childhood cancer and for some cancers there are no known effective treatments. Survival rates for some cancers common among children have not improved in more than 25 years.

The Fighting Childhood Cancer measure makes funding of childhood cancer research a priority by delivering research and clinical trials into low survival childhood cancers, improving data, supporting Cancer Australia’s children’s cancer website, and promoting awareness.

This multi-faceted and comprehensive approach is helping advance the diagnosis, treatment, management and analysis of childhood cancer, and improve outcomes for childhood cancers with low survival rates, such as brain, central nervous system and types of leukaemia and sarcoma.