[Acute leukemias and tumors of childhood--a problem solved?]

Cancer is a rare disease in children, in whom some 200 new cases are recorded every year in Switzerland including about 20 in the eastern part of the country. In contrast to cancer in adults, many malignancies of the child have prospects of cure. This improved prognosis is mainly the result of interdisciplinary cooperation within the framework of controlled national and international protocols. Progress in the treatment of two representative forms of cancer (acute lymphocytic leukemia and Wilms tumor) is illustrated. 50% of all children from the eastern part of Switzerland with acute lymphocytic leukemia and 70% of those with Wilms tumor have been cured in the past 7 years. These impressive advances are unfortunately overshadowed by late sequelae of the therapy, which are described and must be taken into account in future therapeutic approaches.