Muscle mass and long-term health after cancer

Ms. LILAC: Muscle Mass in the Life and Longevity After Cancer (LILAC) Study

['FUNDING_R37'] · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO · NIH-11512835

Measuring muscle size and how it links to walking, balance, and strength in older women who survived cancer compared with women without cancer.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_R37']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorSTATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO (nih funded)
Locations1 site (AMHERST, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11512835 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

This project uses a safe D3-creatine test that can be done remotely to get a direct measure of muscle mass. It compares about 3,044 cancer survivors with 3,570 cancer-free participants from the Women’s Health Initiative, a large group of postmenopausal women followed for decades. The team will link muscle mass to measures like gait speed, balance, strength, and daily activities to see how cancer and aging each matter. They will also use big-data and machine-learning methods to find factors that predict low muscle mass over the long term.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative, especially those who previously had cancer.

Not a fit: Men, younger women, and people not enrolled in the WHI are unlikely to be included or directly benefit from this specific project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify who is at higher risk of muscle loss after cancer so doctors can target tests or therapies earlier.

How similar studies have performed: The D3-creatine dilution method is already validated for measuring muscle mass, but applying it at this large scale to long-term cancer survivors is a new approach.

Where this research is happening

AMHERST, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.