Patient Profile: Nadia Chose a Clinical Trial and a Beautiful Life

Nadia had a good life. Last December, she was 55 years old, worked as a teaching assistant for special needs children, and enjoyed close and loving relationships with her family and friends. All was good, until one day when it was not. 

She first noticed feeling short of breath when climbing stairs. When that shortness of breath continued, Nadia reached out to her primary physician who put her on anti-anxiety medication with a follow-up appointment in two weeks. 

At that visit, the shortness of breath had not improved, but there were some other symptoms that were becoming more noticeable -- stomach pains, gassiness, and unexplained belching. The physician prescribed an antacid for possible ulcers. 

At the next visit, Nadia felt nothing was improving. She was experiencing growing fatigue on top of all the other symptoms that were causing distress. Nothing was providing relief. She and her doctor spoke about depression and, just to be safe, the physician ordered blood work and a stool sample. Neither Nadia nor her doctor were overly concerned, as Nadia had had a clean colonoscopy in 2021.

At 6 o’clock in the morning the day after her blood test, Nadia’s phone rang. It was her physician worried about some troubling results from her blood work. Nadia was advised to get to an emergency room stat.

The ER visit led to a hospital admission. After a series of tests, including a pet scan and an endoscopy, an eight-centimeter tumor was found in Nadia’s abdomen, and it was moving into her esophagus. Nadia had cancer and it had metastasized. “My mind was spinning,” says Nadia, “I was not expecting to hear I had cancer.” Having provided care for family members with cancer, Nadia knew her world was changing, and very quickly.

It was during that hospital visit that Nadia met Dr. Srilata Gundala, founder of Hope & Healing Cancer Services. During their first conversation, Nadia felt put at ease when Dr. Gundala told her, “I would like to be the quarterback for your cancer treatment.” That felt good to Nadia, but she felt like she needed to get a second opinion, if only to give herself time to digest just how completely things were changing. 

Like everything else attached to this experience, the second opinion was secured quickly. Nadia knew pursuing treatment at the large Chicago-based hospital where she was seen was a no-go for her, “I felt like a number. It was not as personal as Hope & Healing. And I definitely did not want to deal with the hustle and bustle of going downtown for treatment.”

When cancer metastasizes, it is on the move. After diagnosis, cancer patients go through a staging process to help determine the extent of disease within the body. Nadia’s cancer was determined to be stage IV, incurable and aggressive. She needed treatment, quickly, but that was complicated by low blood levels that made cancer treatment impossible until her blood and body were healthy enough to handle it.

Nadia and her family worked closely with the treatment team at Hope & Healing Cancer Services during this challenging period that caused a lot of anxiety. There were blood infusions, protocol decisions, and a port placement needed. With the help of clinical and research staff, a phase III clinical trial was identified that showed promise for Nadia’s type of cancer. She was accepted. And all of this happened during the busy holiday season. Nadia received her first chemo treatment just one week into the new year. “This was record time,” says Dr. Gundala.

With Nadia being in a phase III clinical trial, her treatment was now being studied for safety and effectiveness.

“I definitely wanted to be a part of it. When I heard my cancer was incurable, I wanted to do anything I could to help others. It brought me comfort to know I am helping people by participating.”

Recently, Nadia went through her first set of scans after joining the study. The tests showed visible and measurable shrinkage of Nadia’s cancer. “My radiologist and oncologist are very happy,” says Nadia, “so that means I am very happy! I had a high level of anxiety waiting for results, but the team at Hope & Healing are so wonderful. When I go into the clinic, it’s like coming home to a warm cup of soup. I say that getting my treatment here is all-inclusive – it is the same people every time with the same smiles. It is more individualized. Everyone greets you by name. I’m very happy and ecstatic about my results. I get to keep on fighting the good fight and living this beautiful life.”