Hey guys, I made it nearly three years with clear scans, but found out earlier this month that I had metastasis to my left lung. I had VATS on 4/1/15 and they removed 5 nodules from the pleural area of my left lung. I've since spoke with my medical oncologist at Emory University Hospital and was informed about an immune therapy clinical trial. The trial is: NCT02059850 and can be found here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02059850
I'm a bit concerned as this is a phase 1 trial and I can't find any information regarding possible side effects or success rates. I live in Atlanta and this trial is in Seattle so it's definitely going to hurt financially as well. Has anyone on this forum tried this trial and if so, what was the outcome? Thanks in advance for the help!
Travel can get expensive. I live in Chicago and travel to just outside of DC (Bethesda MD) for my treatments. Due to this trial being at The National Institute of health, my treatments and travel are covered by NIH. It is my understanding that this is the normal process, once trials make it through NIH, they are extended to other institutions and insurance and the patient are accountable for the costs.
There are no preliminary results for my trial either. The facility that you choose should be able to provide that information to you when you visit them for possible selection into the trial.
Thanks for the information regarding your experience with the clinical trial. I will be reading your blog as well. I hope your scans have positive results!
My husband was Dr. Pollack's first t-cell immunotherapy trial patient. I believe this trial is not updated to include the results of my husband. We saw early and initial response, but not for long. This was about 3 years ago. Seth is a wonderful doctor, and what I can tell you is you will be in very good hands with him and the entire staff of the Hutch. I'm happy to offer any other insights you'd like to hear. Best of luck to you and keep fighting to fight!
Thanks for the reply Tracey! I think I will pursue the trial Jim recommended as it's a good bit closer to home and is currently in phase 2. I hope all is well with your husband and family as well!
I worked with my oncologist to figure out which trial to apply to. He taught me how to read the trail info and determine which I would be a likely candidate for. I met him in his office one night and we narrowed it down to about 6. The trail that I'm in is hard to get into due to the tumor type (NY-ESO-1) and your blood being HLA-A*0201 positive. My oncologist performed these tests and others prior to me contacting NIH. I had 3 backup plans incase I was not a match. Best of luck!