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Muscle Aging Phenotypes in Childhood Cancer Survivors

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · with National Cancer Institute (NCI) · NCT07531498

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Opens the official ClinicalTrials.gov record, with the study team’s contacts. Bored Studies doesn’t enroll anyone.

Key facts

Compensation
Not posted. Ask the study team before screening.
Who can join
Ages 18+ · All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Study type
Observational
Target enrollment
533
US sites recruiting
1
Study start
September 14, 2026
Record last updated
September 16, 2026

Status re-checked against ClinicalTrials.gov within the last 12 hours.

What the study is about

Childhood cancer survivors experience premature declines in muscle mass, strength, and physical function that contribute to morbidity and early mortality. The biological mechanisms driving these impairments are heterogeneous and poorly understood. This observational study aims to characterize distinct muscle health endotypes in adult survivors of childhood cancer using advanced imaging, neuromuscular testing, and functional assessment. Survivors with reduced muscle health and community controls will undergo multimodal magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, nerve conduction studies, surface electromyography, body composition assessment, and physical performance testing during a single study visit integrated into an ongoing cohort evaluation. Identifying mechanistic endotypes of impaired muscle health will support development of targeted interventions to preserve function and improve long-term outcomes in childhood cancer survivors.

Primary Objective

  • Characterize reduced muscle health endotypes in childhood cancer survivors.

Secondary Objective

  • Identify specific treatment and lifestyle related risk factors for each reduced muscle health endotype.

Exploratory Objective

  • Host germline genetics will be associated with specific muscle endotypes.

Being studied: Multimodal Muscle Imaging and Functional Assessment; Multimodal Muscle Imaging and Neuromuscular Assessment; Comprehensive Muscle Phenotyping; Integrated Neuromuscular and Imaging Evaluation

Conditions: Muscle Weakness; Low Muscle Mass; Sarcopenia

Eligibility criteria

Copied from the official record. The study team makes the final decision at screening.

Show full criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • Age 18 years old or older at time of consent and enrolled in SJLIFE.
  • Participant (100 per group for a total of 400) is/has:
  • Group 1: No cancer history
  • Group 2: Age and sex specific relative lean mass z-score of less than -0.5 OR age and sex specific hand grip or isokinetic (60 degrees/sec) quadriceps strength z-score of \<-0.5 AND exposure to a peripheral neurotoxin.
  • Group 3: Age and sex specific relative lean mass z-score of less than -0.5 OR age and sex specific hand grip or isokinetic (60 degrees/sec) quadriceps strength z-score of \<-0.5 AND NOT exposed to a peripheral neurotoxin.
  • Group 4: Age and sex specific relative lean mass z-score of less than -0.5 AND age and sex specific hand grip strength or isokinetic (60 degrees/sec) quadriceps strength z-score of \<-0.5 REGARDLESS of exposure status.
  • Participant or legal guardian is able and willing to give informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Presence of implanted medical devices or metal that would interfere with MRI or MRS.
  • Female Participant is pregnant.
  • Body weight exceeding 300 pounds, due to MRI restrictions.
  • Inability to lie flat on his/her back for 90 minutes or longer for MRI.
  • Inability or unwillingness of research participant or legal guardian/representative to give written informed consent.
  • Presence of known radiation-induced nerve injury.
  • Prescence of pre-existing neurologic (non-cancer related) or who develop chronic neurologic disorders (i.e. Charcot Marie Tooth Disease, Downs, congenital brain injury).
  • Participation on a lifestyle or medication clinical trial within the past 1 year.

Recruiting US locations

  • St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

    Memphis, TN 38105

    Site contact: Kirsten Ness, PhD · 888-226-4343 · referralinfo@stjude.org

Study contacts (from the official record)

  • Kirsten Ness, PhD · 888-226-4343 · referralinfo@stjude.org
All healthy volunteers studies in Tennessee →
Muscle Aging Phenotypes in Childhood Cancer Survivors (NCT07531498) | Bored Studies