Leukaemia is cancer of the blood or bone marrow. This is a broad range of diseases including both acute and chronic forms.

See also Map 7 All cancer deaths.

SMRs are generally slightly lower north of a line running from the mouth of the Mersey to the Thames estuary. The highest SMRs are found in Wigan, Northampton, Newport Pagnell and Burnley. In general the distribution is much more even than for most other causes of death.

Childhood leukaemia is the most common form of childhood malignancy, with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia accounting for approximately three quarters of childhood leukaemias, with incidence peaking between ages 2 and 3. However, as the age– sex bar chart shows, it is older adults who are much more likely to die from this group of cancers than young people. In these older age groups the forms of the disease that are prevalent are chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and myeloid leukaemia.

Survival rates have improved dramatically in recent years. Approximately 75% of all children with childhood cancers survive five years after diagnosis, with the figure being 80% for those with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (UK Childhood Cancer Research Group, National Registry of Childhood Tumours, 2004). Most of these will be permanently cured.