Cancer Types
Pediatric Brain Cancer
Brain and spinal cord tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death in children ages 0–14 in the U.S. “Brain tumor” is not one disease. It is many, and each type behaves and is treated differently.
Londyn, a Rally Kid diagnosed with DIPG
Brain and spinal cord tumors in children
cause of cancer-related death in U.S. children ages 0–14
CBTRUS
children and teens (0–19) diagnosed with a brain or spinal cord tumor each year
Neuro-Oncology
U.S. children and teens living with a brain or CNS tumor in 2025, cancerous and non-cancerous combined
Neuro-Oncology
Brain and spinal cord tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death in children ages 0–14 in the U.S.
Source: CBTRUS · cbtrus.org
About 6 out of every 100,000 children and teens (ages 0–19) are diagnosed with a brain or spinal cord tumor each year.
Source: Neuro-Oncology · academic.oup.com/neuro-oncology
“Brain tumor” is not one disease but multiple diseases that each behave differently and are treated differently. Typical survival ranges from under 2 years to 20+ years depending on the exact type, so statistics should always be read type-by-type, not as one overall number.
Source: CBTRUS · cbtrus.org
Pilocytic astrocytoma is the most common brain tumor in children overall. It typically grows slowly and is highly curable, with 5-year survival above 95%.
Source: Neuro-Oncology · academic.oup.com/neuro-oncology
In 2025, almost 43,000 U.S. children and teens are living with a brain or central nervous system tumor, cancerous and non-cancerous combined.
Source: Neuro-Oncology · academic.oup.com/neuro-oncology
DIPG is the deadliest pediatric brain cancer.
Source: CBTRUS · cbtrus.org
DIPG / DMG
An aggressive brainstem tumor with one of the lowest survival rates of any childhood cancer.
of all childhood brain tumors
NCI PDQ
new U.S. cases diagnosed each year
NCI PDQ
typical survival after diagnosis
PubMed Central
when most children are diagnosed
NCI
The tumor grows through the pons, the part of the brainstem that controls breathing and heart rate, so it cannot be safely removed with surgery.
Source: NCI PDQ
Radiation therapy is the standard treatment. It often helps symptoms for a while, but the cancer almost always returns.
Source: NCI PDQ
Despite decades of clinical trials, survival has not meaningfully improved, and adding chemotherapy has not extended survival beyond radiation alone.
Source: International DIPG/DMG Registry · dipgregistry.org
Medulloblastoma
The most common cancerous brain tumor in children.
children diagnosed in the U.S. each year
PubMed Central
when most children are diagnosed, though it can happen at any age
PubMed Central
of children are still alive 5 years after diagnosis
PubMed
Children whose cancer has spread within the brain or spine at diagnosis have lower survival, about 55%, compared with 80–85% for children whose cancer has not spread.
Source: NCI PDQ · cancer.gov
Treatment usually combines surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation to the brain and spine.
Source: NCI PDQ · cancer.gov
Medulloblastoma is four different diseases
Medulloblastoma is grouped into four molecular subtypes. Five-year survival differs enormously between them, which is why a single overall number understates the risk for some children and overstates it for others.
| Subtype | 5-year survival | What drives the difference |
|---|---|---|
| WNT | Above 90% | Often cited near 95–100%. The best outlook of any medulloblastoma subtype. |
| SHH | 65–75% | Varies significantly by age and by whether the tumor carries a TP53 gene mutation. |
| Group 3 | 50–60% | Falls below 50% when the tumor carries MYC gene amplification. The worst outlook of the four subtypes. |
| Group 4 | 75–90% | Generally better than Group 3, but not as favorable as WNT. |
Source: NCI PDQ · cancer.gov
ATRT
A rare, fast-growing brain tumor mostly seen in infants and very young children.
children diagnosed in the U.S. each year
American Brain Tumor Association
of children are diagnosed before age 3, most often in their second year of life
PubMed Central
typical survival in many studies, especially for infants
PubMed Central
More than 95% of ATRT tumors are caused by the loss of a gene called SMARCB1 (also known as INI1).
Source: American Brain Tumor Association · abta.org
About 1 in 3 children with ATRT inherited the gene change that caused it. These children tend to be diagnosed earlier and have worse survival.
Source: American Brain Tumor Association · abta.org
Up to 40% of children already have cancer that has spread by the time they are diagnosed, and these children have lower survival than those whose cancer has not spread.
Source: NCBI PubMed Central · PMC12468553
ETMR
A rare and aggressive brain tumor that mostly affects very young children.
median age at diagnosis; most children are infants younger than 3
PubMed Central
of children survive 5 years, making it one of the deadliest childhood brain tumors
PubMed Central
of ETMR tumors are caused by extra copies of a gene cluster called C19MC
PubMed Central
In some groups of patients, no children survived 5 years, and typical survival was measured in months rather than years, as low as about 7 months even with chemotherapy.
Source: NCBI PubMed Central · PMC12931075
About 90% of ETMR tumors are caused by extra copies of a gene cluster called C19MC, and others are linked to a gene called DICER1.
Source: NCBI PubMed Central
Chemotherapy is one of the few treatments consistently linked to better survival in ETMR, but there is still no standard treatment plan.
Source: NCBI PubMed Central
ETMR was only recognized as its own distinct type of brain tumor in 2016, so doctors are still learning about it. Before 2016 it was categorized under the broad umbrella of Central Nervous System Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors (CNS-PNETs).
Source: NCBI PubMed Central
Sources for this page
- National Cancer Institute PDQ: Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors Treatment · cancer.gov
- American Brain Tumor Association: Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor (ATRT) · abta.org
- NCBI PubMed Central: ATRT metastatic disease at diagnosis · PMC12468553
- NCBI PubMed Central: ETMR outcomes · PMC12931075
- Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS) · cbtrus.org
- Neuro-Oncology (Society for Neuro-Oncology) · academic.oup.com/neuro-oncology
- International DIPG/DMG Registry · dipgregistry.org
Statistics attributed to “NCI PDQ”, “PubMed”, or “PubMed Central” without a direct link above are accurate to the source documents provided by Rally. Article-level citation pending
The National Center for Childhood Cancer is the trusted source for childhood cancer statistics. Designed for journalists and policymakers, every statistic is fully sourced and includes the original source and year of the data to support accurate reporting, informed policy, and better decisions for children with cancer.