Drug trial helps woman cheat death for five years

Carolyn Boone travels from Dallas to the CTRC every three weeks for intravenous treatment. “I continue to live life one day at a time.”

In 2003, after Dallas resident Carolyn Boone had her hysterectomy, doctors discovered a huge and fast-growing tumor, diagnosed as mullerian sarcoma. It spread to her liver and lungs. Her oncologist’s prognosis: The cancer would not respond to chemotherapy or radiation and Boone had maybe a year to live. He referred her to the CTRC at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio for an experimental study.

Five years later, Boone is still alive, and a patient of Dr. Monica Mita. The drug that stabilized her cancer is known as Agent AP23573, which regulates normal cell growth and slows or stops the growth of cancer cells. The drug has progressed to the third of four phases of testing.

“Carolyn Boone’s story is an inspiration for other patients and care providers,” Dr. Mita said. “Her experience is what we would like to see for all patients with advanced cancer – significant and durable response with a normal quality of life.”