Survival rates for childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Some people with children who have cancer may want to know the survival rates for their type of cancer. Others may not find the numbers helpful, or may even not want to know them. If you would rather not read about the survival rates, please skip to the next section, “How is non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated in children?”

Survival rates refer to the percentage of patients who live at least a certain amount of time after their cancer is found. For instance, the 5-year survival rate refers to the percentage of children who live at least 5 years after their cancer is found. Of course, many children live much longer than 5 years.

With regard to non-Hodgkin lymphomas in children, those who are still free of disease after 5 years are likely to have been cured, as it rare for these cancers to return after this much time.

• For children with Burkitt lymphomas and lymphoblastic lymphomas, most studies have found 5-year survival rates ranging from about 80% for more advanced (stage III or IV) lymphoma to better than 90% for limited stage (stage I or II) lymphoma.
• The cure rate is over 90% for limited stage (stage I and II) diffuse large B-cell lymphomas and is slightly lower for anaplastic large cell lymphomas.
• The cure rate for children with advanced (stage III or IV) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma ranges from about 80% to 90%. For advanced anaplastic large cell lymphoma, the cure rate is about 60% to 75%.

These numbers provide an overall picture, but keep in mind that every child is unique, and the numbers can’t predict exactly what will happen in your child’s case. Talk with your cancer care team if you have questions about your child’s chances of a cure. They know your child’s situation best.