Overview

• Children with cancer in the UK face a median diagnostic interval of 4.6 weeks, though waits range from same-day notification to as long as six years.
• Adolescents aged 15 to 18 experience the longest delays, waiting a median of 8.7 weeks before diagnosis.
• Bone tumours are the most delayed diagnoses, requiring a median of 12.6 weeks compared with 2.3 weeks for kidney cancers.
• Most childhood cancer cases (67%) are confirmed after emergency referrals or A&E admissions, with certain tumour types often prompting multiple medical visits.
• The study’s outcomes will inform England’s National Cancer Plan and feed into the Child Cancer Smart campaign to accelerate future diagnoses.