90% of Children Survive Most Common Form of Cancer
By: NBC News
Updated: March 13, 2012
Children diagnosed with the most common form of childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, now have a nine in ten chance of beating the disease.
A new study of 20,000 children with the illness finds the survival rate has jumped from 83% in 1994, to 90% in 2005.
Doctors credit better use of existing drugs and the fact that nearly half of all patients participated in clinical trials.
Having that large group of patients to study helps doctors learn which treatments work best.
A new study of 20,000 children with the illness finds the survival rate has jumped from 83% in 1994, to 90% in 2005.
Doctors credit better use of existing drugs and the fact that nearly half of all patients participated in clinical trials.
Having that large group of patients to study helps doctors learn which treatments work best.
