UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 10

survivor profile
Watch a video of
Maggie’s story
on the UAB
Comprehensive
Cancer Center
website, and
follow Maggie’s
journey on
her blog at
leafbylife.life.
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U A B
many institutions offer phase I studies, UAB
is one of the few academic medical centers
conducting phase I studies through a cohesive
team approach. This allows patients access to
novel drugs and therapies otherwise not available,
while benefiting scientific research.
“Patients who enroll in a phase I trial have
often failed or exhausted all other therapies,”
says Mansoor Saleh, M.D., director of the Phase
I Program and UAB Comprehensive Cancer
Center senior scientist. “Our patients volunteer
to take part in these novel treatment options. It
is often a trip into the unknown, and our team
is dedicated to giving these patients hope and
taking care of them on this therapeutic journey.”
Enrolling in a phase I trial has been a learning
experience for both Maggie and her family. “I
kind of knew what clinical trials were, but I
didn’t know what all went into them,” Maggie
says. “This was completely different because I
was moving from pediatric oncology, which is
all I had known since my diagnosis, into adult
oncology. It’s a totally different environment.”
Maggie began receiving treatment through a
phase I trial at UAB in November 2016 and has
had a positive response to the treatments. She
currently receives an infusion every two weeks
and scans every six weeks, which determine
whether she continues the current treatment or
begins a different regimen. While she does not
know how long she will be on the trial, she is
grateful for the care she is receiving at UAB. “All
the nurses and doctors have been very kind and
generous,” she says. “UAB has always kept us
knowledgeable about what’s going on and what
I’m getting and what they’re doing. It’s been a
very good experience so far.”
Adds Mrs. Hanberry: “From the initial
contact with UAB, we felt like we were at home.
I can’t say enough about the people here and the
level of care that Maggie is getting.”
Dr. Saleh hopes that stories such as Maggie’s
will help change the conventional thinking
surrounding phase I studies. “We need to think
about phase I studies differently than we have
C O M P R E H E N S I V E
C A N C E R
C E N T E R
thought about them before. It used to be an end-
of-the-line option, and it’s no longer that. In
many cases, it may very well be closer to the front
of the line.”
A Positive Outlook
Over the past three years, Maggie has tried
to live as normal a life as she can, which she did
not know would be possible when she was first
diagnosed. “I was very concerned that this was
going to stop everything, and it was just going to
be all about cancer for an indefinite amount of
time,” she says. “I didn’t know if I was going to
be able to do school or have a normal life.”
Through home schooling, Maggie was able
to continue her education at her own pace and
graduate from high school in 2016. Now about
to turn 19, she is looking forward to eventually
attending college and, inspired by her cancer
experience, pursuing a degree in nursing.
Reflecting on her journey, she acknowledges the
many ways that cancer has changed her.
“Cancer has allowed me to be more
independent. I’ve learned to speak up and be
more outgoing, because I have to talk to doctors
and nurses consistently. It’s also allowed me to be
more compassionate toward people in the same
situation. I’ve become more passionate about
raising awareness for pediatric cancer. That’s
something very near and dear to my heart now.”
“Maggie has such a positive outlook,” Mrs.
Hanberry says. “She has inspired me with her
willingness to take each day as it comes, to take
what each day brings and try to make the best of
it. That has been the biggest thing – to see how
she has blossomed despite, or in the midst of,
battling cancer.”
For Maggie, that newfound strength is a
source of inspiration for her as she continues on
her cancer journey, as well as advice for others
facing a similar path. “Trust that God is going
to take care of you through everything. Look for
the small things every day to pull you through.
You have to set goals for yourself, and look for
happiness in everything.”