“Pancreatic cancer is very aggressive, and patients who present with the cancer at an early stage are a minority,” says Dr. Patients enrolled receive the test drug, CPI-613, in addition to FOLFIRINOX, a combination of chemotherapeutic agents.
Upon coming to the Comprehensive Cancer Center, Earl was offered treatment options that included a phase I clinical trial for CPI-613, a targeted therapy aimed at cancer cell metabolism. Studies show that patients who receive care at an NCI-designated cancer center can improve their long-term survival rates by up to 25%. That research led Earl and his daughter to Wake Forest Baptist Health’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Piedmont Triad region and one of only 51 in the country. She immediately began searching for hospitals and physicians in North Carolina with expertise in treating pancreatic cancer. Left speechless, Earl had his physician relay the message via phone to his eldest daughter, a surgical oncologist in Canada. Earl had stage IV pancreatic cancer that had metastasized to his lungs, liver and peritoneum. What Earl thought was a sign of a herniated belly button was actually a Sister Mary Joseph nodule, which is a palpable nodule protruding from the belly button that indicates cancer in the abdomen or pelvis. Earl decided to seek his physician’s medical advice.Īfter a physical examination, CT scan and a biopsy, Earl’s doctor confirmed the worst. As a result, he was having pain and worried he may have a herniated belly button. Midway through his trip, the power steering in his camper failed and made the drive back to North Carolina much more difficult. In September 2015, Earl Groce’s cross country trip to the Burning Man festival in Nevada was coming to an end. A clinical trial helps Earl Groce on a successful pancreatic cancer journey.
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