Patient Experiences
Alan Brandon
Multiple Myeloma
There’s a misconception that, when a cancer patient is offered a clinical trial, the end is near. But multiple myeloma survivor Alan Brandon is living proof dispelling that notion.
When first diagnosed with multiple myeloma, doctors gave him two to six years to live. That was in 2003, more than 18 years ago.
Thanks to clinical trials, he’s still here. He’s gotten more time with his wife to travel the world, before the pandemic hit. They’ve been to Europe, New Zealand, Mexico and multiple national parks. They even took a nine-country cruise in the Caribbean islands a few years ago.
“I’ve had no limitations with my life,” he says.
Brandon credits that success to clinical trials, having enrolled in a few since coming to Wilmot Cancer Institute for care almost two decades ago. He’s also grateful for the clinical trials volunteers who came before him, allowing treatment to advance by the time he needed it.
“I received treatments where other people proved that the drugs were effective and so it’s not just my experience about trials,” he says. “It’s other peoples’ experiences and I benefitted from that.”
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