Experimental Treatment Provides Hope To Strong-Willed Cancer Patient
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Finding hope and courage in the face of a devastating diagnosis-- is a message aimed at patients to ease suffering.
We've heard a lot about immunotherapy, it's the next generation of cancer treatment, igniting the body's immune system to attack deadly cells. And for lung cancer, a leading cancer killer, it's a therapy that's giving hope to patients, and they're testing it at Penn Medicine.
Dave Clark works full-time, mountain climbs, and rock climbs. It's not the kind of activities you usually see a cancer patient doing, but the 52-year-old is no ordinary patient.
"When you hear those words cancer…yes it is devastating, it's surreal and it turns your world upside down, but it's not over and there is hope," said Clark.
Hope is coming from an experimental immunotherapy being tested at Penn Medicine.
"Cancer is an abnormal cell, so the immune system should ideally get rid of it. But unfortunately, it does not. And so what this drug does is it amplifies the immune response to try to clear those cancers," said Dr. Joshua Bauml.
Dave gets an infusion every month. He's a nurse manager in South Jersey and an avid rock climber - in great shape. But two years ago he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. He had radiation, surgery and chemotherapy - but in February the cancer came back.
"It felt like it was the 4th down and time was running out on the clock and we needed a Hail Mary pass," he said.
The touchdown could come from what's being called the checkpoint inhibitor .. a drug that's showing promise in the treatment of advanced lung cancer.
"The goal of the trial is to see if we can give people very long time periods without having any active tumor. The shoot for the moon goal is to make it go away and to never come back again," said Dr. Bauml.
For Dave and his wife, it's about getting more time together and with their family.
"I have great children and I have two beautiful granddaughters. And, I want to see their stories. I feel in my heart it's just not time for me to die yet, and there is a lot to look forward to and I want to see those stories unfold," Clark said.
Dave says he'll continue working and mountain climbing while being treated, and sharing his message of 'keeping hope alive' to cancer patients and their families.
