Client Story
How precision medicine and a clinical trial turned a grim prognosis into a cancer-free diagnosis.
When Peter, an adventurous 60-year-old, was diagnosed with Stage II esophageal cancer, he underwent standard treatment with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, hoping to put cancer behind him.
Unfortunately, his cancer recurred five months later. Over the next three years, as his cancer spread to his liver and lungs, he faced an unrelentless march through multiple recurrences, debilitating treatments, and limited options. Eventually, Peter’s oncologist told him that he had run out of treatment options and gave him just three months to live. Peter refused to give up, which led him to PHM.
Peter’s PHM Personal Care Team determined that additional molecular profiling could show what was driving tumor growth. The results identified two potential treatment strategies: targeting a specific gene mutation or immunotherapy.
Peter’s PHM Personal Care Team quickly arranged for him to meet with several leading experts, who had differing opinions on how to proceed. One expert recommended immunotherapy, while another favored enrolling him in a clinical trial of a drug that specifically targets the gene’s pathway.
PHM conducted a review of the scientific literature and provided Peter with an in-depth analysis of the treatment options and education about the benefits and risks of enrolling in a clinical trial. Peter also understood that he could try the clinical trial for a few months and switch to immunotherapy if the drug was not helping.
PHM worked with the clinical trial coordinator to confirm that Peter was eligible to enroll in the trial and managed his enrollment, including trial screening and consent.
Confident in the information he had, Peter enrolled in the clinical trial.
After two months of the targeted treatment, Peter’s disease started disappearing, and was gone within nine months. He stopped treatment and has been cancer-free for over eight years.
Peter’s story highlights the importance of understanding the biological drivers of cancer growth through precision medicine and helping patients navigate clinical trials and access to the latest treatment advances.
To learn more from PHM experts about clinical trials, download our information guide.
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