Â鶹ӳ»­

Until I was diagnosed with stage I triple-negative breast cancer in December 2016, I didn¡¯t know much about immunotherapy. But as an executive assistant in MD Anderson¡¯s Radiation Oncology department for more than 25 years, I¡¯d heard the term used before by our doctors. I never thought that one day it would save my own life.

When I started my treatment, I joined a clinical trial being conducted by MD Anderson¡¯s Breast Cancer Moon Shot?. The trial was unique because I was able to start with traditional chemotherapy and move on to other treatments only if that didn¡¯t work. I learned many patients with triple-negative breast cancer respond well to chemotherapy, but this trial would provide me with personalized options if my tumor didn¡¯t.

Unfortunately, my tumor progressed after two cycles of chemo. After analyzing my tumor, my doctors thought I would be a good candidate for an immunotherapy clinical trial, also part of the Moon Shot, that was only available here in Houston.

What made me try an immunotherapy clinical trial

I was a little nervous when first mentioned the clinical trial. To me, that meant I may or may not receive the medicine being tested, and I couldn¡¯t be sure if it would work, even if I did receive it. But Dr. Ibrahim told me that this combination of drugs had already shown some very positive results in treating stage IV ovarian cancer, and triple-negative breast cancer is notoriously hard to treat. After we talked about it, I felt comfortable and confident, so I decided to do it.

I started receiving an immunotherapy drug called atezolizumab in combination with a chemotherapy drug, Abraxane? (nab-paclitaxel), by IV once a week on March 13. After only three doses, an ultrasound showed my tumor had shrunk by 76%. By the time I had surgery on July 5, 2017, there was nothing left to remove. Only seven months after diagnosis, there were no traces of cancer in my body. That¡¯s about the best result you can get.

Why I didn¡¯t give up on the immunotherapy clinical trial

Ironically, I almost didn¡¯t stay on the clinical trial. I developed a cough and shortness of breath fairly soon after starting immunotherapy, and went to MD Anderson¡¯s Emergency Center. The doctor there was concerned I might be developing treatment-related pneumonia, so he admitted me to the hospital. That scared me.

It turned out to be just a virus. But I talked over my fears with Dr. Ibrahim anyway. He was very reassuring. He said side effects were a possibility with any treatment, and he encouraged me to give the clinical trial a little more time.

I am so glad I took Dr. Ibrahim¡¯s advice. Because immunotherapy works. It worked for me. And now, it¡¯s going to help other women, too.

or by calling 1-877-632-6789.