Blood cancer has emerged as the most commonly diagnosed childhood cancer in Australia, posing a significant threat to the lives and well-being of young Australians. This alarming trend is depriving many children of the carefree childhood they deserve. Leukaemia and lymphoma, which together account for nearly half of all cancers diagnosed in individuals under 19, have made blood cancer the predominant cancer threat for children and teenagers in the country.
Each year, over 500 young Australians are diagnosed with blood cancer, a figure that is projected to rise to over 700 by the end of the next decade. As the world observes International Childhood Cancer Day on February 15, the Leukaemia Foundation is drawing attention to the devastating impact of blood cancer on Australian children and their families, urging for increased awareness, support, and action.
Impact on Families and Communities
“Today, another Australian family will be told the unthinkable – that their child has blood cancer,” stated Chris Tanti, CEO of the Leukaemia Foundation. “Their life changes in an instant and will likely never be the same again.”
Families are often thrust into a world of complex and frightening treatments, which may require them to leave their homes, jobs, schools, and support networks to access specialist care in major hospitals. For some children, treatment can mean spending up to two years away from home, separated from siblings, friends, and familiar routines.
In fact, two in five children diagnosed with blood cancer are from regional and rural Australia, amplifying the disruption to their daily lives. “Childhood should be about play, learning, and growing – not hospital wards, chemotherapy, and invasive procedures,” Mr. Tanti emphasized. “But for children with blood cancer, their world quickly becomes one of appointments, tests, and treatments no child should ever have to endure.”
Rising Incidence and Mortality Rates
The burden of blood cancer is expected to grow, with incidence and mortality rising across all age groups in Australia. Children are not immune to this trend. “In the past two decades, blood cancer diagnoses in Australian children have increased by around 20 percent,” Mr. Tanti noted.
“While survival rates have improved, the reality remains heartbreaking – every two weeks, an Australian child or teenager loses their life to blood cancer, making it the second leading cause of childhood cancer deaths in this country.”
The Leukaemia Foundation is committed to changing this trajectory, with a focus on ongoing investment in research and comprehensive support services for families during and beyond treatment.
Support and Research Initiatives
“For the past 50 years, the Leukaemia Foundation has stood beside Australians facing blood cancer, including thousands of children and their families,” Mr. Tanti said. “Our role is to help ease the enormous burden they carry so families can focus on what matters most – their child’s treatment, recovery, and well-being.”
Blood cancer treatment in children typically lasts two to three years, one of the longest treatment journeys of any cancer type. Even after treatment ends, many children live with long-term or lifelong health impacts caused by the disease and its therapies.
To continue meeting the growing need for support, the Leukaemia Foundation is urging Australians to participate in the World’s Greatest Shave, its largest annual fundraising campaign. “The World’s Greatest Shave is critical to everything we do,” Mr. Tanti stated. “It funds our accommodation services so families have a home away from home, helps cover transport to treatment, and ensures families have access to information, education, and emotional support when they need it most.”
Call to Action
The Leukaemia Foundation has set an ambitious target to raise $12 million through this year’s World’s Greatest Shave and is calling on Australians of all ages to shave, cut, or color their hair to show solidarity with those affected. “A child’s blood cancer diagnosis doesn’t just affect the child – it impacts parents, siblings, grandparents, classmates, teachers, and entire communities,” Mr. Tanti remarked.
“By taking part in the World’s Greatest Shave, Australians can help ensure children and Australians of all ages facing blood cancer are supported every step of the way, and still experience moments of joy, connection, and normality during the hardest chapter of their lives.”
Australians can register to take part in the World’s Greatest Shave at worldsgreatestshave.com or call 1800 500 088.
