W&J professor pushing for clinical drug trials
Maureen Valentine, Washington & Jefferson College director of conferences and events, and Brittany Hopkins, college ambassador in external relations, work with Carol Glock on event planning. Glock started a foundation to raise money for clinical trials after participating in one as a cancer patient.
Carol Glock was given a grim prognosis but participated in a clinical trial. In one month, her nine-centimeter tumor shrunk drastically, and after a mastectomy, she is now cancer-free.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Carol Glock teaches her Attaining the Mental Edge class at W&J. Glock used the lessons she’s taught in class about being positive to empower her in her battle with cancer.
Carol Glock is used to teaching others how to keep a positive outlook. When the Washington & Jefferson College adjunct professor and coordinator of the physical education programs was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, she realized she needed to heed her own advice.
“I teach a class called Attaining the Mental Edge. It’s all about being positive, living in the present moment and power talk,” Glock said. “When I got this cancer, I had to practice everything that I preach.”
The Bethel Park resident had no family history of breast cancer and got regular mammograms, so her diagnosis came as a shock.
Inflammatory breast cancer progresses rapidly, often in a matter of weeks or months, and doctors gave her a grim prognosis. Still, Glock decided not to tell coworkers or her students about her condition until after she beat it. “I felt like I had enough family support and didn’t want to expend energy answering a lot of questions,” she explained.
She focused on living in the present, being grateful and enjoying her time with students. “The thought of teaching those students is what got me out of bed in the morning,” she said.
After extensive research, Glock consulted Allegheny Health Network breast surgeon Dr. Thomas Julian, who suggested that she might benefit from a clinical trial investigating the drug Neratinib. Glock enrolled immediately and took the drug for four months in addition to chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
“So many people think that they’re guinea pigs or being used as an experiment, but I never felt like I was an experimental object at all,” said Glock. “The results I had would not have been possible had I not added this drug. I may have gotten better, but not as quickly. In one month, my nine-centimeter tumor shrunk to almost nothing.” Glock also underwent a mastectomy and today is cancer-free.
Living through that experience left her grateful and determined to advocate for greater awareness and acceptance of clinical trials. Locally and nationally, researchers are finding it difficult to attract clinical trial participants. Dr. Julian is AHN’s Breast Surgical Oncology Division director and oncology principal investigator and said clinical trials are critical to improving the standard of care.
“Clinical trials have identified ways to lessen surgery as well as chemotherapy and radiation therapy,” said Julian. “They have helped to develop a more personalized approach to treating patients with very specific agents which target the tumor, reduce side effects and improve survival with a better quality of life. If clinical trials had not been undertaken and if brave patients had not participated in them, we would not be at the point we are today in improving cancer care.”
Patients are often wary of clinical trials for a variety of reasons. Julian cited factors such as the randomization process, in which patients think they may not have a choice as to which treatment they receive. He said some patients think they might receive a placebo rather than the test drug or incur extra costs or tests. Sometimes patients do not qualify for a certain clinical trial or have a long enrollment process due to strict regulatory oversight and background data requirements.
Julian said the key to filling trials is educating patients on what to expect. “Education should explain why trials are important, the safeguards that are placed into trials, the review process, which insures safety, and a process which makes it easier to understand each trial.”
Julian said clinical trials today compare the current standard of care to how that care can be improved by adding new drugs or treatments.
Julian emphasized that clinical trials are imperative when it comes to developing cancer-fighting drugs.
“As human beings we have a responsibility to alter and improve on the diseases that affect us,” he said. “We owe our well-being to those courageous ones who have preceded us and took the challenge to help make life better by participating in clinical trials to help find new ways to beat cancer. Every patient who is involved in a clinical trial adds to the progress in lessening cancer’s ability to harm others and helps to improve possibly their own care.”
Glock is grateful she made the decision to join a clinical trial and that an investigational drug helped her beat breast cancer. Now, she wants others to benefit as well.
Glock started a foundation to raise money for clinical trials and is also speaking publicly to urge women to participate. “I want to inform people about the advantages of being in a clinical trial,” she said. “I wanted to spread the message and this is the way I wanted to give back.” Part of her work involves speaking to community and college groups so that people have the information they need if they ever face a cancer diagnosis.
“There is more oversight in a clinical trial than the standard care protocol,” Glock said. “This process not only saved my life but could save the lives of so many other breast cancer patients.” Just as her positive thinking helped her through her treatment, she’s positive this message will help build interest in clinical trials and eventually save lives.
More information is available at http://www.glockfoundation.org/.