Update on clinical trial

I had HPV+ SCC in my left tonsil and soft palate in 2012, which never returned after chemo-radiation. I ended up with lung cancer in 2015, though, also HPV+ SCC, and I was again treated with chemo-radiation. At the 6-month PET scan, the cancer was blooming again in my right pleura, several lymph nodes, and even just starting on the left lung (which had no cancer originally). At that point it's considered incurable.

I went into an immunotherapy clinical trial in August of 2016. It combines Opdivo (nivolumab, an anti-PD1 antibody) with the novel agent epacadostat (an IDO inhibitor). I'm not only in the group of patients who responded to the combination, but I seem to be in the "complete response" category. As of my last CT a month ago, I'm either cancer-free or pretty close to it. My oncologist said the response rate for this combination trial is higher than for Opdivo alone, but even so probably less than 50%, so I consider myself very lucky. It could come back any time (the cancer could mutate) but I now have more time and I'm spending that time feeling relatively good with lower side effects than I would have with chemo.

If you end up in a similar situation, ask your doctor about clinical trials. Do your own research and be willing to travel for one. This trial literally saved my life and there are new developments and trials every day. Don't lose hope! :-)