Helping young bone cancer survivors manage chronic pain with a mobile program
Official title: Culturally adapted mobile treatment of chronic pain in adolescent survivors of pediatric bone sarcoma
Funded at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NIH-11323743 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program offers a special mobile therapy and brain stimulation to help Black and Hispanic young people who have survived bone cancer find better ways to manage their long-lasting pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $3,128,074 |
| NIH project number | 4R33CA280978-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11323743 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Black and Hispanic adolescents who have survived pediatric bone sarcoma and are experiencing chronic pain.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not experience chronic pain or are not adolescent survivors of pediatric bone sarcoma would likely not benefit from this specific program.
What this research studies
Many young people who have survived bone cancer experience chronic pain, and Black and Hispanic survivors often face even greater challenges in managing it. This program aims to provide a new way to help by combining a type of talk therapy called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a gentle brain stimulation technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Both therapies will be delivered through mobile devices, making them easier to access from home. The program is specifically designed to be culturally sensitive to the experiences of Black and Hispanic youth, hoping to improve pain control and reduce reliance on opioid medications.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could offer a more accessible and effective way for adolescent bone cancer survivors, especially those from Black and Hispanic communities, to manage their chronic pain and improve their quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: While Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a proven treatment for chronic pain, this specific combination of culturally adapted mobile CBT and remote tDCS for this particular patient population is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brinkman, Tara M — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Brinkman, Tara M
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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.