Sharp fall in child cancer deaths - from 50-60 per year to fewer than 25

The number of children dying each year from cancer has reduced substantially since the 1950s, from 50-60 per year to fewer than 25, according to an analysis of childhood cancer trends.

The reduction in mortality largely reflects major improvements in diagnostic and treatment methods since the 1970s, according to a new report from the National Cancer Registry (NCR).

The greatest reduction in absolute numbers of deaths has been observed for leukaemia, which accounted for almost half of all childhood cancer deaths in the 1950s and 1960s. On average, fewer than 10 children per year have died from leukaemia in recent decades.