Infections, Immune System Disorders, Radiation Exposure: Causes Of Childhood Cancer, And What Experts Say

About eight to 10 per cent of childhood cancers occur due to genetic factors. This can happen because they inherit a genetic mutation from their parents, or acquire a mutation in childhood.

In several cases, chronic infections such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, Epstein-Barr virus, and malaria virus lead to childhood cancer. Sometimes, an infection contracted in childhood can increase the chances of the child developing cancer in adulthood.

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Childhood cancers mostly do not have a known cause, unlike cancers in adults. Every year, about 400,000 children and adolescents belonging to the age group of 0 to 19 years develop cancer. Leukaemia (blood cancer), lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system), solid tumours such as neuroblastoma (cancer developing from immature nerve cells) and Wilms tumour (a rare kidney cancer in children), and brain cancers are the most common childhood cancers.  Other types of childhood cancers are