A similar situation was faced by Earl Groce who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. At 72 years of age, he went through multiple investigations including blood tests, biopsies, CT scans, and MRI scans. His cancer was stage 4 that is a late-stage and has a bad prognosis.
He went into a state of shock when he was told about his cancer because stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis is considered synonymous with a death decree due to its aggressiveness and bad outcome. He has a wife, kids, and grandkids he wanted to spend his time with.
He had heard horrible stories about pancreatic cancer and unfortunately, these stories are not completely wrong. Mr Groce was referred to a clinical trial for a relatively new drug called CPI-613 (devimistat). He was reluctant at the start but his doctor explained thoroughly how clinical trials work and how it could improve his outcome. The fact that stage 4 pancreatic cancer is difficult to manage and treat with standard protocol was the focal point of this trial.
Earl considered all pros and cons of the trial and agreed to take part hoping that luck will be on his side. He underwent 98 sessions of chemotherapy with CPI-613 as well as standard protocol consisting of three chemotherapy agents. He enrolled as a phase I participant and now he is in phase III.
Fortunately, there is a lot of improvement in his condition. He has undergone countless CT scans, MRI scans, and blood markers ever since his trial has started and they show an ongoing improvement every time. An average survival rate after diagnosis of stage 4 cancer is around 3-6 months. Mr. Groce is living a good quality life after his diagnosis and it has been four years since he was diagnosed. He is happy to spend quality time with his family and see his family growing and flourishing.
Earl's leap of faith has undoubtedly been a blessing for him that bought him incredible time to spend with his loved ones after being diagnosed with a lethal advanced-stage health condition. From reluctancy to satisfaction, his journey is a ray of hope for many cancer patients out there.
Earl says that he would recommend participating in a drug trial for the sake of yourself and other patients who can benefit. He has learned to value every single day of his life and cannot be more grateful.