What do Rob Lowe and Katie Couric have in common? They’ve both had decades-long careers in media; they’re both bestselling authors; they both host popular podcasts; and they both want to get more people involved in clinical trials for cancer.
In this week’s episode of Next Question, Katie sat down with Lowe to discuss the reason cancer clinical trial participation has become such an important mission for him: His mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all died of breast cancer. “When my mom was diagnosed, I just couldn’t believe it,” he says. “Really? Three generations?” When his grandmother was diagnosed, the standard of care for all women diagnosed with breast cancer was a double mastectomy. “That was not that long ago,” he says. “The advances since then have been amazing.”
While the standard of care may have changed since Lowe’s grandmother was diagnosed, he knows without a shadow of a doubt that participating in clinical trials extended her life. “She was lucky enough to be a part of at least two clinical trials, both of which came up when they told her there was nothing more they could do,” Lowe recalls. “They’d originally given her months, but the trials extended her life for decades. She [was able to] see me in the Brat Pack.”
While “Hail Mary” cases like Lowe’s grandmother’s are what many associate with cancer clinical trials, they shouldn't just be viewed as a last-ditch effort — they can offer access to investigational medicines throughout the treatment journey. In fact, some patients can join a clinical trial from the very beginning of their cancer treatment plan. Still, only about seven percent of Americans who are diagnosed with cancer participate in clinical trials, which Lowe attributes to a misunderstanding of how they work. “People fear that they might get a placebo, or they might be a guinea pig, but it’s exactly the opposite,” he says. “You actually get more care, and have more eyes on you.” Katie adds that “In phase three clinical trials, everyone is going to receive the standard of care [the typical course of treatment anyone would get for their specific cancer type], which you would get anyway, [and half will also get] a drug that is showing great promise and has already been through phase one and phase two.”
Another reason why trial participation is so low could be that many people don't even know they exist. “All you have to do is ask your doctor about them. It should be the first thing you talk about,” Lowe says. “Technology is moving so quickly that the minute you and I leave this conversation, something new will have come out, and unless you're advocating for yourself, you're not going to know.”
For Lowe, spreading the word about clinical trials is a way to honor his late mother and grandmother. “Anytime I'm raising money or visiting hospitals…I'm always thinking about my mom and my grandma,” he says. “We're lucky we have great lives, [but this work] reminds me that life is so fragile…That’s why you have to advocate for yourself. That’s why I keep banging the drum.”
For more information on clinical trials, visit cancerclinicaltrials.lilly.com
