Approximately 175000 cancer cases are diagnosed annually in children younger than age 15
years worldwide, 1 with an annual increase of around 0.9 % in incidence
rate in the developed world, only partly explained by improved diagnosis and reporting.1, 2 Childhood cancer is rare and its
survival rate has increased significantly over the
years owing to advancement in treatment technologies; however, it is still a leading cause of death among children and adolescents in developed countries, ranking second among children aged 1 to 14
years in the United States,
surpassed only by accidents.1, 3 Childhood cancer is also emerging as a major cause of death in the last few
years in Asia, Central and South America, Northwest Africa, and the Middle East, where death
rates from preventable communicable diseases are declining.2