Social and emotional challenges for children who survived cancer early in life
Official title: Psychosocial Risk in Young Survivors of Early Onset Pediatric Cancer: The Role of Physical and Neurocognitive Late Effects
Funded at Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp · NIH-11294190 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how physical problems and thinking/learning difficulties after cancer treatment affect friendships, social life, and emotional wellbeing in people who had cancer as very young children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, United States) |
| Project start | February 9, 2021 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $544,357 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA248103-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11294190 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are survivors who were diagnosed with cancer in early childhood (especially before age 6) and who received CNS-directed treatments or now have cognitive, motor, or social difficulties.
✕Less likely to help
People who were not treated in early childhood or who did not have CNS-directed therapy, as well as those without social or cognitive late effects, are less likely to be included or directly helped by this project.
What this research studies
If you or your child survived cancer in early childhood, this work follows survivors to understand why they may have trouble making friends, feel isolated, or experience emotional distress. The team compares survivors who had brain tumors or CNS-directed treatments with those who did not, using cognitive tests, motor and sensory exams, and questionnaires about social experiences and mood. They also consider parent stress and how early treatment timing relates to later social skills. Findings will link specific physical and thinking problems to real-world social and emotional difficulties to guide future supports.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to specific targets for therapies or school and family supports to help young survivors improve friendships and emotional health.
How similar studies have gone: Past research has identified social-cognitive problems in adult survivors and found limited success with interventions, so focusing on very early childhood survivors is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gerhardt, Cynthia a — Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp
- Study coordinator: Gerhardt, Cynthia a
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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.