Improved survival for childhood cancer has been one of the successes of modern medicine. In 1970, the 5-year overall survival from all types of childhood cancer was only 28%; now it is 75%. For acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the survival has improved from 9% in 1960 to 85% today. This dramatic improvement in survival is due to chemotherapy, sometimes as the only treatment modality, especially, for leukemia and lymphoma, but more often in combination with surgery and radiotherapy for solid tumors.