Pediatric Cancer & Blood Disorders

Unusual Cancers of Childhood

Rare Cancers of Childhood Treatment

General Information About Rare Cancers of Childhood

Key Points

Rare cancers of childhood are cancers not usually seen in children.

Rare cancers of childhood are cancers not usually seen in children.

Cancer in children and adolescents is rare. Since 1975, the number of new cases of childhood cancer has slowly increased. Since 1975, the number of deaths from childhood cancer has decreased by more than half.

The cancers listed in this summary are so rare that most children's hospitals are likely to see less than a handful of some types in several years. Because these cancers are so rare, there is not a lot of information about what treatment works best. A child's treatment is often based on what has been learned from treating other children. Sometimes, information is available only from reports of the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of one child or a small group of children who were given the same type of treatment.

Many different cancers are listed in this summary. They are grouped by where they are found in the body.

The Rare Cancers of Childhood Treatment summary has been separated into individual summaries for each topic. Please use the lists below or the following link to find the individual summaries: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/pdq/information-summaries/pediatric-treatment.

Rare Cancers of the Head and Neck

Nasopharyngeal Cancer

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treatment for more information.

Esthesioneuroblastoma

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Esthesioneuroblastoma Treatment for more information.

Thyroid Cancer

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Thyroid Cancer Treatment for more information.

Oral Cavity Cancer

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Oral Cavity Cancer Treatment for more information.

Salivary Gland Tumors

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Salivary Gland Tumors Treatment for more information.

Laryngeal Cancer and Papillomatosis

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Laryngeal Tumors Treatment for more information.

Midline Tract Cancer with NUT Gene Changes (NUT Midline Carcinoma)

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Midline Tract Carcinoma with NUT Gene Changes Treatment for more information.

Rare Cancers of the Chest

Breast Cancer

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Breast Cancer Treatment for more information.

Lung Cancer

See the following PDQ summaries for more information:

Esophageal Cancer

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Esophageal Cancer Treatment for more information.

Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma Treatment for more information.

Cardiac (Heart) Tumors

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Cardiac (Heart) Tumors Treatment for more information.

Rare Cancers of the Abdomen

Adrenocortical Carcinoma

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Adrenocortical Carcinoma Treatment for more information.

Stomach (Gastric) Cancer

See Childhood Stomach Cancer for more information.

Pancreatic Cancer

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Pancreatic Cancer Treatment for more information.

Colorectal Cancer

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Colorectal Cancer Treatment for more information.

Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Tumors Treatment for more information.

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Treatment for more information.

Rare Cancers of the Reproductive and Urinary Systems

Bladder Cancer

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Bladder Cancer for more information.

Testicular Cancer

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Testicular Cancer Treatment for more information.

Ovarian Cancer

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Ovarian Cancer Treatment for more information.

Cervical and Vaginal Cancer

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Cervical and Vaginal Cancers for more information.

Other Rare Cancers of Childhood

Mesothelioma

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Mesothelioma Treatment for more information.

Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndromes

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) Syndromes Treatment for more information.

Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma Treatment for more information.

Skin Cancer (Melanoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma, and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin)

See the following PDQ summaries for more information:

Intraocular (Uveal) Melanoma

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Intraocular (Uveal) Melanoma Treatment for more information.

Chordoma

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Chordoma Treatment for more information.

Carcinoma of Unknown Primary

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Carcinoma of Unknown Primary Treatment for more information.

To Learn More About Childhood Cancer

For more information from the National Cancer Institute about rare cancers of childhood, see the following:

For more childhood cancer information and other general cancer resources, see the following:

Updated: June 15, 2023

This content is provided by the National Cancer Institute.
Source URL: https://www.cancer.gov/types/childhood-cancers/patient/rare-childhood-cancers-pdq