How To Decide When to Try a Trial

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GoBucks
GoBucks Member Posts: 28
in Colorectal Cancer #1
Just curious - I'd like to move treatment for this disease along - how do you decide when you should stop treatment and participate in a trial?

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  • tommycat
    tommycat Member Posts: 790 Member
    #2
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    my thoughts
    I enrolled in a clinical trial and would recommend it to anyone with this disease. You get the standard of care for your particular cancer PLUS cutting edge medicine/science that is on the cusp of going to market.
    Dx Stage 3 rectal cancer in 2009.
    Currently NED
  • th_in_canada
    th_in_canada Member Posts: 46
    #3
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    trials
    There are trials and then there are trials! I was in 2 trials, one for my 1st line of chemo and one with my last. It was great because I received extra testing and appointments.
    Then when I was told that there were no more standard treatments for me, Phase 1 trials were suggested. There were 2 Phase 1's that I could potentially qualify for so I went for testing for both of them. The day before I was to start chemo on one of them, I chickened out and cancelled. I later found out that I am nRAS mutant and consequently, it's unlikely this particular drug would have done anything. The second trial, is specifically for RAS and bRAF mutations but, for me, the side effects were too scary so I'm not going to do it. Neither of these trials were specifically for crc patients.
    I am, however, waiting to see if I've been accepted into a Phase 1 trial testing high doses of Vit D. Even though this one is not close to me, I'm much more comfortable with it.
    Like treatment, you have to look at the trials carefully to see if it is right for you.

    Tricia
  • smokeyjoe
    smokeyjoe Member Posts: 1,425 Member
    #4
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    th_in_canada said:

    trials
    There are trials and then there are trials! I was in 2 trials, one for my 1st line of chemo and one with my last. It was great because I received extra testing and appointments.
    Then when I was told that there were no more standard treatments for me, Phase 1 trials were suggested. There were 2 Phase 1's that I could potentially qualify for so I went for testing for both of them. The day before I was to start chemo on one of them, I chickened out and cancelled. I later found out that I am nRAS mutant and consequently, it's unlikely this particular drug would have done anything. The second trial, is specifically for RAS and bRAF mutations but, for me, the side effects were too scary so I'm not going to do it. Neither of these trials were specifically for crc patients.
    I am, however, waiting to see if I've been accepted into a Phase 1 trial testing high doses of Vit D. Even though this one is not close to me, I'm much more comfortable with it.
    Like treatment, you have to look at the trials carefully to see if it is right for you.

    Tricia

    Tommycat, just curious what
    Tommycat, just curious what did your clinical trial involve, which drug?
  • tommycat
    tommycat Member Posts: 790 Member
    #5
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    smokeyjoe said:

    Tommycat, just curious what
    Tommycat, just curious what did your clinical trial involve, which drug?

    Here is the clinical trial I
    Here is the clinical trial I was in at Scripps Green in San Diego. (You might have to cut/paste into your browser.) Diagnosed with Stage 3 rectal cancer in 2009. Currently NED :)
    The results of this study show to me that I may have done extra chemo than necessary, but I still say it was worth it.

    http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00058474?term=oxaliplatin+rectal+cancer&recr=Open&state1=NA:US:CA&rank=1

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