I haven't written much recently because there hasn't been much to say. Everything is getting back to normal for me really. I've started a phased return to work, the lymphedema isn't too problematic, neither is the neuralgia. The scars have healed well and the physio is doing its job so anybody who didn't know probably wouldn't notice a thing wrong with me.
At one of my consultancies several weeks ago, I enquired about taking part in a clinical trial. They are basically experiments with new medicines and therapies that need testing. First they are tested on animals and then when they're deemed safe, tests on humans begin.A clinical trial has several phases, the first being where they're testing dose escalation and safety issues on a few people and it is considered the most dangerous. The last phase normally involves several thousand people over a few years.
I had an appointment at The Christie last week where they're running the trial I enquired about. It's a Phase 2 trial testing a new immunotherapy drug. In a nutshell, the drug changes your DNA and enables you to make a new protein which may reduce the efficiency of melanin-making cells. An information video is here. If I am accepted on the trial (I need to have the right antigens in my body) it would involve 14 visits over 7 months. I would have 10 injections of the drug into my arm and leg via a device that is also being tested: immediately after each shot is delivered, the device would insert four thin wires into my muscles and give me a strong electric shock. This is to maximise the uptake of vaccine into my muscle. I'd also have another two CT scans, an eye test and regular bloods plus follow-up phone calls for five years.
There are pros and cons to taking part in the trial. The pros include that I get extra checks, that if the medicine works to reduce melanoma instances, I'd be looked on favourably for it, and the trial is being ran by one of the foremost melanoma experts in Europe.
The cons are that I don't really want to spend so much more time in hospital when I am so close to normality and, of course, the lack of appeal in being injected then electrocuted!
The main factor for me, though, is a moral one. I do not believe humans should test medicine for humans on animals. I believe that if we want to find cures for our illnesses, we should be willing to take the risks that come with creating new medicines. In this case, the risks would include the usual flu-like, fever stuff, bleeding, scarring, scabs and so on. They also include vitiligo and inflammation of the eyeball resulting in temporary or permanent blindness. Only 22 people in the UK will be asked to take part, which to my mind is pretty frightening and there is no payment for this. It is purely voluntary.
A little bit of me hopes I'm not eligible. Electric shocks and painful scabs aren't something I would usually volunteer for. But, I feel so strongly about my beliefs around testing that I do want to be accepted. I want to be useful and I want to put my money where my mouth is. I dislike using medicines knowing they've been tested on animals but I concluded a long time ago that I'd be no good to anyone dead. This way I can hopefully make a difference, even if it is going to hurt. I will find out in three weeks or so whether I'm on the trial so I'll update and let you know.
