Cohort study to understand sarcoma survivorship across life
Official title: CAUSAL: Cohort to Augment the Understanding of Sarcoma Survivorship Across the Lifespan
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11397780 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large Vanderbilt-led project will follow about 2,100 people who survived sarcoma to learn how treatment, lifestyle, and biology affect long-term health and quality of life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,186,663 |
| NIH project number | 5UH3CA260318-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397780 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Sarcoma survivors, approximately 2,100 individuals, who received treatment and are followed at the Vanderbilt Sarcoma Treatment Center.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without sarcoma or those not enrolled in the Vanderbilt cohort may not directly benefit from this study.
What this research studies
This project will enroll a large group of sarcoma survivors and collect repeated data on their disease course, treatments, symptoms, and overall well-being over time. It will also gather biospecimens like tumor tissue and blood to study biology and germline genetics. The team will look at how lifestyle choices—such as diet, exercise, and abstinence from smoking and alcohol—relate to survival, toxicity, and quality of life. Advanced analyses, including liquid biopsy approaches, will be used to identify factors that predict outcomes and guide future care. The study is conducted at Vanderbilt with long-term follow-up planned through 2027 and beyond.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could lead to personalized survivorship care plans and better strategies to prevent or mitigate long-term treatment-related effects for sarcoma survivors.
How similar studies have gone: This project builds on the growing evidence that survivor cohorts can reveal predictors of outcomes and inform care, with prior survivorship research showing meaningful insights in other cancers.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Friedman, Debra L. — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Friedman, Debra L.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.