Understanding life after sarcoma at all ages
Official title: CAUSAL: Cohort to Augment the Understanding of Sarcoma Survivorship Across the Lifespan
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11171614 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows sarcoma survivors of all ages to learn how treatments, biology, and lifestyle 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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $2,201,003 |
| NIH project number | 5UH3CA260318-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11171614 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have been diagnosed and treated for sarcoma at any age and are willing to share medical records, provide blood samples, and complete follow-up visits and questionnaires.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without a history of sarcoma or those unwilling to provide medical information or biospecimens would not directly benefit from participating.
What this research studies
As a participant, you'll be invited into a long-term group of about 2,100 sarcoma survivors treated through Vanderbilt. The team will collect your treatment and medical history, repeat surveys about lifestyle and quality of life, and biospecimens such as tumor tissue and blood over time. They will track cancer recurrence, organ-related side effects, physical function, and survival while linking these outcomes to tumor biology and inherited genetics and exploring liquid biopsy tools. You may be contacted for clinic visits, blood draws, and periodic questionnaires during follow-up.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify factors that improve survival and reduce long-term side effects for sarcoma survivors.
How similar studies have gone: Pediatric cancer survivor cohorts have produced useful insights, but a large, sarcoma-specific survivorship cohort is relatively new and less tested.
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.