Sandwiched between morning television talk show segments onHollywood gossip, 30-minute meal recipes and national weatherpatterns, was some chatter about a clinical trial for a drug aimedat fighting advanced prostate cancer.
Bill Redfield cocked his head and waited, eager to hear more. Itwas 2006 and Redfield had been fighting prostate cancer since firstbeing diagnosed in February 2001 at Billings Clinic. his prostatewas removed and radiation treatments kept the cancer at bay onlytemporarily. Injecting Lupron into his muscles to relieve symptomsof the cancer had minimal effect.
The cancer was defiant, invading his nervous system. He was”losing ground.”
But, more news about the clinical trial never came. So Redfieldbegan scouring the Internet, searching for any mention of the drug,the trial, or the company. his pursuit was relentless.
Then finally, he located the company and called it. He had onequestion: Is there anyone anywhere near Billings involved in thetrial?
Dr. Tom Purcell, former medical director of the Billings ClinicCancer Center, was involved in the clinical trial. Redfield workedin tandem with Indian Health Service to get his care immediatelytransferred to Purcell and Billings Clinic.
“I felt I needed to be where I at least had a chance,” Redfieldsaid. “I was regressing. Everything was getting worse and worse. Itwas in the bone. it scattered all over the place. it justexploded.”
The 6-foot man withered to 135 pounds.
His PSA, a blood test to measure how much prostate specificantigen a man has in his bloodstream, had soared to 69. Normal isgenerally anything from zero to 3.9.
Aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer is the mostcommon cancer among men in the United States, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. it is also one of theleading causes of cancer death among men of all races and Hispanicorigin populations.
Redfield’s cancer was stubborn, but so was he. it became acontest of what — or who — would win. He said he steeled himself,made peace with the cancer and put the issue in God’s hands.
Despite being temporarily paralyzed from the waist down in 2007due to pinched nerves in his back, Redfield continued the standardcourse of treatment for prostate cancer. in December 2009, after anaggressive three-year pursuit, he was accepted to be part of thecoveted clinical trial.
“I lined myself up to be part of it,” Redfield said. “It wasGod-given. it was no accident that I got accepted. if it’s anaccident, it’s a pretty thin accident. I give God the praise andthe glory for it.”
Billings Clinic is contractually bound to keep the name of thedrug and its manufacturer confidential. The sponsor of the clinicaltrial cannot release information about the drug until it isFDA-approved.
Redfield continues taking the drug today and is required as partof the trial to visit Billings Clinic monthly for checkups andtests.
Today, Redfield weighs in at 217 pounds and his PSA is 1.6. Hiscancer has been “undetectable” since April 2010.
“Ten years ago I was ready to throw in the towel and here I sittoday,” Redfield said. “I want everyone to know that you just don’tgive up. you just don’t.”