Eve Irvine: "It’s important to have hope that their will be a positive outcome."

“One of the biggest benefits [to a clinical trial] is the extra attention to your health.”

When Eve Irvine was informed that her breast cancer had metastasized to her clavicle, she had a choice to make.

Nine years earlier, in 1995, she had first been diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. And when the Asia Pacific Sales Service Manager from Macon, Ga, learned that the cancer had returned, she could have let it get her down.

Instead, Eve decided to get as informed about the disease as she could and to maintain a positive attitude. After researching her options and consulting with oncologist Dr. Frederick Schnell of Central Georgia Cancer Info, PC in Macon, she was presented with the opportunity to enroll in a clinical trial.

Regarding her prior knowledge of the clinical trial process, Eve says, "I was not very familiar with clinical trials at the time, so I asked Dr. Schnell a lot of questions. I asked him about the treatment itself, how it differed from my previous treatment nine years earlier and how it would affect my daily life."

After sharing this new information with her husband, she decided to enroll. Having a strong family history of cancer, including a mother who was a breast cancer survivor, Eve knew she had the opportunity to "benefit the quest towards finding a cure."

Overall, Eve says she had a positive experience participating in a clinical trial. She added, "One of the biggest benefits is the extra attention to your health and needs that participants receive. There are a number of individuals around who can walk you through the clinical trial process, answer any questions you may have and quickly identify any complications or problems you may experience while on treatment."

While reflecting on her experience, Eve says that maintaining a positive outlook and having a good support system in place made her experience go much more smoothly.

“It’s important to have hope that their will be a positive outcome," she says. She adds that it didn’t hurt that her husband was a great cook and had prepared many healthy meals for her while she went through treatment.

Having a strong belief in the power of prayer, Eve concludes by saying, "I fully believed the good Lord healed me the first time, and I believed He would heal me the second time around. I am very grateful to everyone who prayed for me to get well!"

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