Personalized heart risk prediction for childhood cancer survivors
Official title: Personalized Risk Prediction to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease in Childhood Cancer Survivors
Funded at University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr · NIH-11212382 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project helps predict and lower the chance of heart disease for people who survived cancer as children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $86,073 |
| NIH project number | 3R01CA261750-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11212382 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who survived cancer that began in childhood—especially those who had chest radiation or anthracycline chemotherapy and who can provide treatment records—are the best fit.
✕Less likely to help
People without a history of childhood cancer, without treatment records, or whose heart problems are unrelated to past cancer therapy are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
If I join, the team will use my past cancer treatment records—like heart radiation doses and chemotherapy—along with health data to estimate my personal risk of heart problems. They will build and test risk models that look at specific parts of the heart instead of treating the whole heart the same. The researchers will create tools clinicians can use to change radiation plans or to tailor follow-up heart screening and counseling for me and others. The work includes both looking back at existing survivor records and translating the models into tools for future care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let doctors personalize radiation plans and follow-up so fewer survivors develop serious heart disease.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research linked heart radiation and anthracyclines to cardiovascular disease, but using detailed heart substructure dose models for personalized prediction is a newer approach with limited prior validation.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Howell, Rebecca Maureen — University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Howell, Rebecca Maureen
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding Heart Risks for Childhood Cancer Survivors
This work aims to create better tools to understand and prevent heart problems in people who had cancer as children.
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Strategies to Find and Reconnect Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors to Adult Follow-Up Care
A nationwide effort to locate and re-engage young people who survived childhood cancer so they can keep receiving important follow-up care.
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Using ECG and AI to find childhood cancer survivors at risk for late cardiomyopathy
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STRENGTH: Time-restricted eating to reduce cardiometabolic risk in childhood cancer survivors
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Family-centered communication help for young adult survivors of childhood cancer
A K08 grant to develop and pilot a tailored family-centered communication program to help young adult survivors of childhood cancer manage their ongoing care.
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Aging, DNA Methylation, and Cardio Risk in Breast Cancer Survivors
A study to help breast cancer survivors understand how aging and DNA changes might raise the chance of heart disease.
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.