Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation releases first comprehensive childhood cancer report

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation published The Childhood Cancer Report 2026, its first-ever independent reference on pediatric cancer data, research and survival gaps. The free report is aimed at families, advocates, journalists and policymakers as federal research funding faces growing uncertainty.

Why it matters: - Childhood cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease in the United States for children up to age 20. - The report is meant to give families, advocates, journalists and policymakers one free place to find reliable childhood cancer data and research context. - ALSF says the report arrives as federally funded research programs and the clinical trials that depend on them face growing uncertainty.

What happened: - Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation published The Childhood Cancer Report 2026 on Aug. 6, 2026. - The Philadelphia-area nonprofit calls the report its first-ever comprehensive childhood cancer reference. - The report is free and publicly available. - Readers can access the full report here.

The details: - The report compiles the most recent June 2026 childhood cancer data releases from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other cancer registries. - ALSF says the report also includes interviews with leading researchers and expert analysis. - The report covers childhood brain and spinal cord tumors, leukemia and lymphomas, neuroblastoma, sarcomas, retinoblastoma and predispositions. - Childhood cancer survival rates continue to rise, but at least 15% of children still do not survive their diagnosis. - More than 500,000 childhood cancer survivors live in the U.S. - At least 60% of those survivors develop one or more chronic health conditions linked to their diagnosis and treatment. - Ninety percent of childhood cancer diagnoses happen in low-income countries, where survival rates are 20% to 30% for cancers that are highly curable in the U.S. - More than 70% of the U.S. population lives more than 100 miles from the medical centers offering some of the most critical treatments for brain tumors, sarcomas and leukemias.

Between the lines: - The report fills a gap ALSF says had no comprehensive, publicly available reference for childhood cancer data and research. - The timing underscores a wider worry that access to treatment and outcomes still depend heavily on geography and income. - The data points also highlight how pediatric cancer is not just a survival issue, but a long-term survivorship and quality-of-life issue.

What's next: - ALSF plans to keep the report free and publicly available. - The foundation is urging families, advocates, journalists, researchers and policymakers to read, share and cite the report. - ALSF is also pushing social-media use of #ChildhoodCancerReport and #ChildhoodCancer to broaden awareness. - People seeking more information can contact Adam Paris at a.paris@alexslemonade.org or (866) 333-1213.

The bottom line: - ALSF is trying to make childhood cancer data easier to find at a moment when research, treatment access and survivorship challenges all remain urgent.