Causes of children's cancers

The causes of childhood cancers are mainly unknown, although there are many theories. Research is being carried out to try to find the causes of the different types of cancer.

Sometimes, two or three children in the same school or local area develop cancer. This can make people worry that there is something locally that is causing the cancer. Several cases of cancer in a small area is known as a cancer cluster. Cancer clusters are carefully investigated but are usually found to be a coincidence, rather than being caused by a particular chemical or environmental change.

Cancers are not infectious, so they can’t be passed on to anyone who comes into contact with your child.

Most cancers are not caused by an inherited faulty gene and so it is extremely rare for a second child in a family to develop cancer.

Parents often worry that something they did or did not do may have caused their child’s cancer. This is not the case, and parents should not feel guilty or that they are to blame for their child developing cancer.