The Paediatric Oncohematology Unit of the Son Espases University Hospital diagnosed 24 new cases of cancer last year among patients aged 0 to 18 years, of which 10 were boys and 14 girls. In Spain, around 1,100 cases of children with cancer are diagnosed up to the age of 14, 1,600 if we add adolescents up to the age of 18. This represents more than 3 new diagnoses per day.

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Son Espases

The most frequent types of childhood tumours are acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (9 cases in the Balearic Islands last year), followed by brain tumours (15 cases).

Survival is increasing, with an average of 82 % at five years, according to data from the Spanish Registry of Childhood Tumours. In some pathologies, such as acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, survival at five years can reach 86%.

World Childhood Cancer Day, is a rare disease that accounts for between 1% and 2% of cases detected in adults, but has a great emotional impact on the patient and their family. This is why at the Son Espases Paediatric Oncohematology Unit doctors, nurses, assistants, psychologists, school classroom teachers, Sonrisa Médica clowns, volunteers and music therapists work together to offer the most complete treatment possible because chemotherapy alone is not enough.

Son Espases is the reference hospital for all the Balearic Islands. It treats children and adolescents with cancer up to the age of 18. Most of the cases are from Mallorca, although last year there were two children from Menorca and five from Ibiza.