Every day I make sure to embrace the gratitude and joy in my day. It’s very easy as I live in a beautiful place with the most wonderful people, and I have everything I need to sustain a truly fulfilling life. Today my joy and gratitude is in thinking about everyone and everything that makes it possible for me to be here. I’m thinking especially about the clinical trial I’m in. Tomorrow we travel to Dana-Farber for my quick three week check-up (no scans). Dan will drive, once there I’ll have blood work and an EKG, and then meet with “my” oncologist and the clinical trial research nurse.
I’ve little idea how this particular trial drug was developed, but it is one of now several targeted therapy drugs being studied for targeting ROS1 in lung cancers and other cancers. Lorlatinib, the targeted therapy drug I’m on, hopefully does what crizontinib did for me in targeting ROS1, and then it goes where crizotinib seemed to not be able to – my brain. In my case, my brain meninges. When you think that only 1% of lung cancer patients have ROS 1, it is mind-blowing to me that there is a clinical trial at my treatment center that is specifically designed for my situation: ROS1+ lung cancer, progression to the brain with first line of treatment. A Study of Lorlatinib in Advanced ALK and ROS1 Rearranged Lung Cancer With CNS Metastasis in the Absence of Measurable Extracranial Lesions
I’m ever so fortunate to live close enough to Dana-Farber to be treated there. Participation in the trial is relatively easy for us. Driving to Boston every three weeks is doable. Clinical trials aren’t offered everywhere. This trial isn’t available to many in my situation because they are unable to make the commitments necessary, specifically traveling to the clinic site of the trial. The Bonnie Addario Lung Cancer Foundation is working to address this problem and help to make trials more accessible for patients anywhere. ALCF Centers of Excellence Thank you to them for this advocacy work.
I’m so grateful for the researchers, the doctors, the patients in prior trials, and the countless others that I’ve no idea about who have and continue to contribute to this and all the clinical trials. It gives me joy to know I am contributing to something that will help a patient in the future, whether it is living with lung cancer as a managed chronic disease through targeted therapy, immunotherapy, combination therapy, or advances in early detection or finding that real C word, cure.
polepole ~ breathe 