UH3CA260318

Causal: Cohort to Augment the Understanding of Sarcoma Survivorship Across the Lifespan - Project Summary

Sarcomas represent a rare and highly heterogeneous subtype of tumors that may develop across the lifespan. In the United States (US), there are approximately 14,000 new cases annually, with approximately 65% survival. Aside from those included in pediatric cancer survivor cohort studies, there are no sarcoma survivor cohorts in which to systematically study recurrence, organ toxicity, function, quality of life, and survival as well as their predictors.

We propose to address these critical gaps in knowledge by establishing a cohort of approximately 2100 sarcoma survivors through the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) Sarcoma Treatment Center, which is amongst the largest sarcoma programs in the US, in existence since 1987.

In this cohort, we will systematically collect repeated information on disease, treatment, response, relapse, treatment-related toxicity, sociodemographics, lifestyle, functional status, quality of life, physical health outcomes, and survival, together with biospecimens (tumor tissue and peripheral blood samples).

We hypothesize that: 1) extrinsic factors, tumor biology, and germline genomics contribute to oncologic outcomes and long-term organ toxicity; 2) healthy lifestyle, e.g., high quality of diet, exercise, abstinence from cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking mitigate the adverse health consequences, improve survival and quality of life among sarcoma survivors; and 3) liquid biopsy tools, developed through identifying genomic drivers of sarcoma, will be of predictive and prognostic utility.

Our aims for the current grant period are to evaluate 1) the impact of disease, treatment, sociodemographic and lifestyle contributors on adverse oncologic and non-oncologic outcomes and mortality in the cohort; 2) the role of drug metabolism and DNA repair gene functional polymorphisms, genetically predicted gene expression levels, and polygenic risk scores, on treatment efficacy and therapy-induced normal tissue toxicity; and 3) genomic drivers of sarcoma to develop personalized liquid biopsy assays for monitoring treatment response, recurrence, and minimal residual disease.

Establishment of a prospective cohort of sarcoma survivors across the lifespan, with extensive and well-characterized clinical and epidemiologic data, patient-reported outcomes, tumor tissue and serial blood samples builds a foundation for a long-term prospective investigation on life after sarcoma. This effort is critically important to improve the understanding of a rare tumor affecting the lifespan but seriously underrepresented in research. Identification of health outcomes and their predictive and prognostic factors can lead to precision treatment and survivorship care, which are currently clinically unmet needs.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

TO IDENTIFY CANCER RISKS AND RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES, TO IDENTIFY FACTORS THAT CAUSE CANCER IN HUMANS, AND TO DISCOVER AND DEVELOP MECHANISMS FOR CANCER PREVENTION AND PREVENTIVE INTERVENTIONS IN HUMANS. RESEARCH PROGRAMS INCLUDE: (1) CHEMICAL, PHYSICAL AND MOLECULAR CARCINOGENESIS, (2) SCREENING, EARLY DETECTION AND RISK ASSESSMENT, INCLUDING BIOMARKER DISCOVERY, DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION, (3) EPIDEMIOLOGY, (4) NUTRITION AND BIOACTIVE FOOD COMPONENTS, (5) IMMUNOLOGY AND VACCINES, (6) FIELD STUDIES AND STATISTICS, (7) CANCER CHEMOPREVENTION AND INTERCEPTION, (8) PRE-CLINICAL AND CLINICAL AGENT DEVELOPMENT, (9) ORGAN SITE STUDIES AND CLINICAL TRIALS, (10) HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES, AND (11) SUPPORTIVE CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF SYMPTOMS AND TOXICITIES. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SBIR PROGRAM, TO STIMULATE TECHNICAL INNOVATION, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FUNDING, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY WOMEN AND SOCIALLY/ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED PERSONS. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FUNDING, AND FOSTER PARTICIPATION IN INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY WOMEN AND SOCIALLY/ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED PERSONS.

93.393 - Cancer Cause and Prevention Research

National Cancer Institute (NCI) [HHS - NIH]

Nashville, Tennessee 37203 United States

Single Zip Code

Utilizing Cohort Studies to Address Health Outcomes in Cancer Survivors (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (RFA-CA-20-030)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 229% from $1,936,770 to $6,381,605.