BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) — China’s pediatric and adolescent cancer patients have achieved a 5-year survival rate of 77.2 percent, marking significant progress in the nation’s healthcare efforts. This achievement, revealed in a study conducted by the National Center for Pediatric Cancer Surveillance (NCPCS), highlights that some specific cancer types have reached world-class survival levels.
The study further detailed that the 5-year survival rate for children under 14 years old stood at 77.8 percent, while adolescents aged 15 to 19 years had a survival rate of 75.3 percent. Notably, girls demonstrated a slightly higher survival rate compared to boys.
Breakthroughs in Cancer Treatment
Among the various cancers surveyed, retinoblastoma had the highest 5-year survival rate at 91.2 percent, whereas malignant bone tumors were at the lower end with a survival rate of 60.4 percent. These findings underscore the varying degrees of success across different cancer types.
For the six high-priority cancer types identified by the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, China’s 5-year survival rates all exceeded 80 percent, with the highest reaching 93.8 percent. This far surpasses the WHO’s target of a 60-percent survival rate for these cancers, which include acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Burkitt lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumor, and low-grade glioma.
“Compared with estimates from a decade ago, the 5-year survival rate for cancer patients aged 0-19 in China has improved markedly,” said Ni Xin, director of the NCPCS and president of Beijing Children’s Hospital.
Factors Contributing to Improved Survival Rates
Ni Xin attributed these improvements to China’s sustained healthcare reforms, which have included enhancements in the inter-provincial medical billing system, specialized policies for major disease treatment, and the adoption of standardized treatment protocols. Additionally, the development of a multi-center collaborative network has played a crucial role in these advancements.
For years, the lack of authoritative, high-quality data on childhood and adolescent cancer survival rates posed a significant challenge in China’s healthcare landscape. To address this, the NCPCS was established in 2019 with the goal of standardizing the nationwide registration and management of pediatric oncology cases.
Comprehensive Data and Future Implications
As of December 2025, the NCPCS has developed an extensive monitoring network that encompasses 31 provincial-level regions and integrates data from 1,760 designated hospitals and medical institutions. This study analyzed 95,189 cases registered within this network, involving individuals aged 0-19 who were diagnosed between 2018 and 2020. The research provided a comprehensive analysis, reporting 5-year survival rates across 12 major diagnostic categories and 47 specific cancer subtypes.
The complete findings of this study have been published in the international medical journal The Lancet.
The announcement comes as a beacon of hope for many families and medical professionals in China. The strides made in pediatric cancer treatment not only reflect the country’s commitment to improving healthcare outcomes but also set a precedent for future efforts in tackling other challenging diseases.
Looking forward, experts suggest that continued investment in healthcare infrastructure and research will be essential to maintaining and further enhancing these survival rates. As China continues to refine its healthcare policies and practices, the lessons learned from this study could inform strategies in other areas of medical research and treatment.
