Battling cancer with help of drug trials
A TALLAGHT cancer patient who is currently taking part in a drug trial has shared her experience to mark International Clinical Trials Day (May 20).
Kiltipper woman Sandra Whelan was diagnosed with cancer in late December 2019, after she was admitted to Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) when she passed blood in her urine.
After undergoing various tests and scans, doctors discovered that Sandra had two tumours on her kidneys and was suffering from an aggressive form of renal cancer.
The urology team in TUH under surgeon Mr Robert Flynn decided that it was best to remove Sandra’s entire left kidney and she had that surgery in January 2020.
Doctors continued to monitor Sandra’s right kidney without incident until 2022, when they spotted that the tumour on that kidney was starting to grow.
They then decided to remove a third of her right kidney, where the tumour was located, and afterwards urologist Mr Arun Thomas told Sandra she might be a good candidate for a drug trial.
The trail would offer her the opportunity to have further treatment with drugs which inhibit the growth of any new cancer.
These are described as being SACT (Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy), a term which covers all anti-cancer drugs.
Oncologists describe a drug trial like the one offered to Sandra as an insurance policy and the aim is to prevent the cancer from returning, according to a TUH spokesperson.
Sandra decided to take part in a double-blind, randomised trial to compare the efficacy and safety of a daily tablet called Belzutifan, and Pembrolizumab intravenously every six weeks.
This was to be administered versus a placebo plus Pembrolizumab in the treatment of clear cell renal cancer.
So all the patients in this trial will get Pembrolizumab, but they are not sure who gets Belzutifan or the placebo.
Members of the team in Tallaght University Hospital
Una Murtagh, a clinical nurse manager in the Cancer Trials Unit who has been caring for Sandra, shared the aim of the trial.
“This study aims to compare disease-free survival for patients treated with Belzutifan plus Pembrolizumab versus the placebo plus Pembrolizumab,” she said.
“We want to see if this drug is superior. As well as comparing the safety and tolerability of these drugs, the trial is also looking at overall survival rate, so we follow up with patients for years.”
The Belzutifan was given in tablet form to Sandra, but recently the dosage was reduced after her haemoglobin count dropped and she experienced fatigue and “jelly legs.”
Trials for new drugs have very strict guidelines, and if side effects are present that could be potentially related to the new drug, the dose is reduced.
Una added: “Sandra continues to be disease-free with no recurrence of cancer. This is definitely a positive outcome.
“While there have been challenges along the way, the absence of cancer recurrence is indeed a significant milestone.”
Recounting her own experience, Sandra said: “It was great to be selected for the drug trial and I feel very lucky to be part of it and to be getting further treatment.
“Everyone in the Cancer Clinical Trial Unit is just so good, right down to making sure you have a cup of tea, while you are waiting for treatment.
“I can get in touch with them anytime, they have just been 100 per cent behind me.”
Sandra would not have had access to this drug in Ireland without being part of the Clinical Trial at TUH.
Over 100 patients are currently taking part in Clinical Cancer Trials at the hospital exploring new treatments for bladder, prostate, pancreatic and renal cancer.