The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) is a 10-year multi-institutional collaboration. It is supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (U24 CA55727) of the National Institutes of Health and by funds provided to the Masonic Cancer Center by the Children's Cancer Research Fund. Since 1994, CCSS has successfully established and followed 14,370 five-year survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer diagnosed between 1970-1986 and a sample of 3,737 sibling controls.

The CCSS, derived through 26 participating clinical centers, has collected detailed information on cancer diagnosis, therapy received, as well as health and quality of life related outcomes. The CCSS provides a dynamic framework and resource in which to investigate current and future questions regarding consequences of therapy, genetic associations, disease processes, causation, interventions, and quality of life among childhood cancer survivors.

Biological Specimens Available for Research

To expand the scope of research that can be conducted within the CCSS, a biologic repository has been established consisting of:

1. genomic DNA from buccal cell samples provided by survivors and siblings; and
2. lymphoblastoid cell lines established from peripheral blood samples of subjects with a second or subsequent neoplasm.

To date, we have collected viable buccal cells on 5,790 survivors and 1,173 siblings. We have also received blood specimens from 494 survivors who developed a subsequent cancer. These materials will be made available to interested investigators through the CCSS approval process.

Contact Information

Visit CCSS: A Resource for Researchers

Selected References

Mulrooney DA, Yeazel MW, Kawashima T, Mertens AC, Mitby P, Stovall M, Donaldson SS, Green DM, Sklar CA, Robison LL, Leisenring WM. Cardiac outcomes in a cohort of adult survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer: retrospective analysis of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort. BMJ. 2009 Dec 8;339:b4606.

Diller L, Chow EJ, Gurney JG, Hudson MM, Kadin-Lottick NS, Kawashima TI, Leisenring WM, Meacham LR, Mertens AC, Mulrooney DA, Oeffinger KC, Packer RJ, Robison LL, Sklar CA. Chronic disease in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort: a review of published findings. J Clin Oncol. 2009 May 10;27(14):2339-55. Epub 2009 Apr 13.

Hudson MM, Mulrooney DA, Bowers DC, Sklar CA, Green DM, Donaldson SS, Oeffinger KC, Neglia JP, Meadows AT, Robison LL. High-risk populations identified in Childhood Cancer Survivor Study investigations: implications for risk-based surveillance. J Clin Oncol. 2009 May 10;27(14):2405-14. Epub 2009 Mar 16.

Armstrong GT, Liu Q, Yasui Y, Neglia JP, Leisenring W, Robison LL, Mertens AC. Late mortality among 5-year survivors of childhood cancer: a summary from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. J Clin Oncol. 2009 May 10;27(14):2328-38. Epub 2009 Mar 30. Review.

Meadows AT, Friedman DL, Neglia JP, Mertens AC, Donaldson SS, Stovall M, Hammond S, Yasui Y, Inskip PD. Second neoplasms in survivors of childhood cancer: findings from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort. J Clin Oncol. 2009 May 10;27(14):2356-62. Epub 2009 Mar 2. Review.

Mulrooney DA, Dover DC, Li S, Yasui Y, Ness KK, Mertens AC, Neglia JP, Sklar CA, Robison LL, Davies SM; Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Twenty years of follow-up among survivors of childhood and young adult acute myeloid leukemia: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Cancer. 2008 May 1;112(9):2071-9.

Mulrooney DA, Ness KK, Neglia JP, Whitton JA, Green DM, Zeltzer LK, Robison LL, Mertens AC. Fatigue and sleep disturbance in adult survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the childhood cancer survivor study (CCSS). Sleep. 2008 Feb 1;31(2):271-81.

A complete list of publications is available on the CCSS Web site.