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Home > About childhood cancer > Beyond treatment >There have been many advances in the treatment of childhood cancer, with 7 out of 10 children surviving their illness. However, this still means that 3 out of 10 children sadly do not survive.
Some children may die as a result of an infection that is too strong for their weakened immune system. The most likely cause however is that a child’s cancer returns and it stops responding to the treatment that previously eliminated it.
In some cases an alternative treatment or experimental drug may be offered. But in many cases the child is likely to die. When this happens, it is said that ‘curative’ treatment is no longer an option for that child. Instead they will enter a stage of ‘palliative care’. This means that any pain or other symptoms will be managed to make the end stage of their illness as comfortable for them as possible. ‘Palliative care’ includes support for the child’s family when coping with such devastating news.
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