Jacqueline Patrick says she wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for a groundbreaking clinical trial at the BC Cancer Agency in Abbotsford.
Patrick was diagnosed in 2013 with Stage 4 breast cancer that first manifested as crippling pain – pain so severe she couldn’t walk or even sit upright.
The cancer had spread to her spine. After being treated with radiation, her oncologist recommended she take part in an experimental drug treatment program.
Three years later, she says she’s thriving.
“I feel good about the fact that I may be a small part of a new treatment that may extend the length and quality of life of future cancer patients,” Patrick says.
“The drug trial has given hope, not only for me, but also for so many others to follow.”
The placebo-controlled trial, which looks at the impact of hormonal treatments on postmenopausal women with Stage 4 breast cancer, is being spearheaded by Dr. Asif Shaikh at the BC Cancer Agency Abbotsford Centre.
The trial compares a new, injectable hormonal treatment option to a standard option taken orally by patients.
It’s one of many being conducted by BC Cancer Agency researchers as part of a concerted effort to advance cancer treatment across the province.
For Patrick, it’s made all the difference.
“The cancer should have taken my life if I had not been on this trial,” she says.
That’s why the BC Cancer Foundation is raising $600,000 to support the expansion of the BC Cancer Agency’s clinical trials program – to save lives. The expansion will allow researchers to make breakthroughs that will directly benefit British Columbians – roughly 77,000 of whom will require cancer care this year.
“Clinical trials are really the only way to ensure that future generations of Canadians continue to receive the best possible care,” Shaikh says.
Visit bccancerfoundation.com for more information.