Vicki's story

Exploring clinical trials can be an important part of your treatment journey. Our Patient Trials Advocate nurse Mel can help answer any questions that you might have and do a clinical trial database search for you.

Vicki shares her experience of clinical trials with us.

"I was diagnosed with secondary HER2 positive breast cancer in April 2017 with spread to my lungs. One year on I was already on my second targeted treatment line (Kadcyla). This was keeping the cancer slow growing but it was not stopping it from progressing. At that time there were no further targeted treatments available. 

I started to look at other options and the possibility of trials. My oncologist at the time said he was not knowledgeable about trials, so I spent weeks searching the clinical trials database trying to find what trials I would be eligible for. After extensive searching I found a few that I may have been eligible for.

My cancer then started to progress quickly with the tumours in my lungs growing fast and I had spread to my brain.  I had already approached the Royal Marsden and had started the screening process for potential trials.  After I had brain radiotherapy, I got one of the remaining places on the HER2 climb trial which I started in January 2019.

This was for a new drug called Tucatinib in combination with existing drugs Herceptin and Capecitabine.  The results I had being on these drugs were beyond my wildest dreams. By the first scans after nine weeks my cancer had started to shrink and by nine months my lung mets were too small to show up on scanning.  

I wanted others to be able to benefit from these life extending treatment, so I was a patient expert giving my perspective of the drugs to the NICE committee to get these drugs approved for use in England. Eventually these drugs were given approved in February 2022. 

Nearly six years on I am still on these same drugs. I know that if I had not been proactive and searched out for trials I would not be here today. Research and trials are key and many new life extending drugs have been approved in recent years.   

The Makes 2nds Count Patient Trials Advocate service helps secondary breast cancer patients explore clinical trials as part of their treatment pathway. They do the hard work of searching for what trials are available for people.  

Due to drug advances I now have a further targeted treatment line available to me if my cancer was to progress (Enhertu), however when the time comes to move into a new treatment  I would consider what trials are available to me. 

I would highly recommend trials as an option to consider at any stage of your treatment programme. Trials are not just for when you have run out of treatment options, they could be your first line of treatment. The Patient Trials Advocate can help and support you explore possible trial options."

Thank you to Vicki for sharing her story. If you would like to find out more about our Patient Trial Advocate Service, get in touch here: https://make2ndscount.co.uk/support/pta