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Help Suzanne Aucoin
Feb. 14, 2006 - The St. Catharines Standard
Finding hope after reality's harsh return: Suzanne Aucoin refocuses on research after
test shows she may have new cancer tumour growth
The Standard (St. Catharines)
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Page: A1 / FRONT
Section: News
Byline: Peter Downs
Source: The Standard
Series: Suzanne's Story
She thought she had beaten it. But in late 2003, Suzanne Aucoin was rediagnosed with
a terminal case of colorectal cancer. The Standard is following Suzanne's fight with
cancer in this continuing series.
- - -
Part 3
For two days straight, the questions tormented her.
Why is this happening to me? Will I die this year? What am I supposed to do next?
A regular blood test two weeks ago pushed the reality of Suzanne Aucoin's
life-and-death fight with colon cancer back in her face.
The test showed a protein molecule in her blood -- called a carcinoembryonic antigen,
or CEA for short -- had risen dramatically since her last test two weeks earlier.
Doctors use CEA levels as an indicator of cancer activity. Often if the level jumps, it
means there's new tumour growth. The only way to know for certain is to have a CT
scan.
Suzanne was stunned to learn from her Hamilton oncologist that her CEA count had
shot up by nearly 30 points.
She's had increases before with the growth of tumours in her colon, liver and lungs.
But never anything that high -- nearly a third over her previous level.
The news filled her with fear and anger.
It brought her back to when she first found out she had colon cancer six years ago at
the age of 29. Back to late 2003 when the disease returned and she was told her case
is terminal.
"It was exactly like being rediagnosed for me," she says. "Because then I start thinking,
'Oh sh-t, what am I going to do? Why do I have this? Thisvisn't fair, I've been doing
everything right."
And it was especially hard to take because she had fought so hard to get her hands on
a new drug -- Erbitux -- considered one of the best options for patients with the most
advanced form of colon cancer.
While the intravenous drug has been approved for use by Health Canada, it is not
funded by OHIP and is available to only a small number of patients.
Suzanne had been paying $14,000 US per month for treatment with the drug at a clinic
in West Seneca, N.Y., since last October. In December, Health Canada granted her
special access to receive Erbitux on this side of the border. She became the first
person to be treated with the drug at the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton.
But the CEA spike in her blood count two weeks ago made Suzanne begin to think her
"wonder drug" may not be working.
For an emotional couple of days after the worrying blood test, Suzanne pulled back
from all the activities on her normally busy schedule.
She didn't want to talk to anyone. She didn't want to see anyone. She didn't want to
leave the Port Dalhousie house she shares with her parents.
But she began to regain her resolve to fight after a conversation with one of the
contacts she's made over the past two years researching new forms of cancer
treatment.
Suzanne spoke with a woman in Texas who has been living with terminal colon cancer
for seven years. She encouraged her and passed along some advice about other drugs
Suzanne could explore, if she needs to.
"As soon as I have choices, I have hope again," she says.
"I go down hard, but I pick myself up again and deal with it."
Suzanne refocused her energy on research.
She learned after her rediagnosis that cancer patients often have to rely on their own
digging to line up access to drugs that may not be approved or widely available.
"The oncologists are obviously well-versed in colon cancer, but I think because they
are limited in what they can offer, they stick to those limitations," she says.
In the past two weeks, she believes she has found four or five treatment alternatives
she can turn to should further medical tests determine that Erbitux is no longer
holding back the growth of her cancer.
She's looking into clinical trials in Hamilton and a cancer clinic in Buffalo, where new
drugs that haven't yet been approved are being tested.
"I have options. I have choices and they're good choices," she says.
"It's all about believing again that I'll handle whatever it is that's thrown at me. It's that
belief that I'll manage. And once you buy into that, things are a lot easier."
Aside from her research, Suzanne was also buoyed by a follow-up blood test last week.
The test showed her CEA count has dropped nearly all the way back to its usual level.
She doesn't know the reason for the sharp fluctuation, but she's relieved it has gone
down.
Suzanne will have a CT scan Wednesday at Hamilton's cancer centre to determine if
the cancer inside her has grown or spread.
She'll have to wait until next week to learn the results.
"I'm a little bit nervous about that, but I'm also back to thinking things are back to
normal, so hopefully everything's stable. If they're not stable, I have options."
pdowns@stcatharinesstandard.ca
Finding hope after reality's harsh return: Suzanne Aucoin refocuses on research after
test shows she may have new cancer tumour growth
The Standard (St. Catharines)
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Page: A1 / FRONT
Section: News
Byline: Peter Downs
Source: The Standard
Series: Suzanne's Story
She thought she had beaten it. But in late 2003, Suzanne Aucoin was rediagnosed with
a terminal case of colorectal cancer. The Standard is following Suzanne's fight with
cancer in this continuing series.
- - -
Part 3
For two days straight, the questions tormented her.
Why is this happening to me? Will I die this year? What am I supposed to do next?
A regular blood test two weeks ago pushed the reality of Suzanne Aucoin's
life-and-death fight with colon cancer back in her face.
The test showed a protein molecule in her blood -- called a carcinoembryonic antigen,
or CEA for short -- had risen dramatically since her last test two weeks earlier.
Doctors use CEA levels as an indicator of cancer activity. Often if the level jumps, it
means there's new tumour growth. The only way to know for certain is to have a CT
scan.
Suzanne was stunned to learn from her Hamilton oncologist that her CEA count had
shot up by nearly 30 points.
She's had increases before with the growth of tumours in her colon, liver and lungs.
But never anything that high -- nearly a third over her previous level.
The news filled her with fear and anger.
It brought her back to when she first found out she had colon cancer six years ago at
the age of 29. Back to late 2003 when the disease returned and she was told her case
is terminal.
"It was exactly like being rediagnosed for me," she says. "Because then I start thinking,
'Oh sh-t, what am I going to do? Why do I have this? Thisvisn't fair, I've been doing
everything right."
And it was especially hard to take because she had fought so hard to get her hands on
a new drug -- Erbitux -- considered one of the best options for patients with the most
advanced form of colon cancer.
While the intravenous drug has been approved for use by Health Canada, it is not
funded by OHIP and is available to only a small number of patients.
Suzanne had been paying $14,000 US per month for treatment with the drug at a clinic
in West Seneca, N.Y., since last October. In December, Health Canada granted her
special access to receive Erbitux on this side of the border. She became the first
person to be treated with the drug at the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton.
But the CEA spike in her blood count two weeks ago made Suzanne begin to think her
"wonder drug" may not be working.
For an emotional couple of days after the worrying blood test, Suzanne pulled back
from all the activities on her normally busy schedule.
She didn't want to talk to anyone. She didn't want to see anyone. She didn't want to
leave the Port Dalhousie house she shares with her parents.
But she began to regain her resolve to fight after a conversation with one of the
contacts she's made over the past two years researching new forms of cancer
treatment.
Suzanne spoke with a woman in Texas who has been living with terminal colon cancer
for seven years. She encouraged her and passed along some advice about other drugs
Suzanne could explore, if she needs to.
"As soon as I have choices, I have hope again," she says.
"I go down hard, but I pick myself up again and deal with it."
Suzanne refocused her energy on research.
She learned after her rediagnosis that cancer patients often have to rely on their own
digging to line up access to drugs that may not be approved or widely available.
"The oncologists are obviously well-versed in colon cancer, but I think because they
are limited in what they can offer, they stick to those limitations," she says.
In the past two weeks, she believes she has found four or five treatment alternatives
she can turn to should further medical tests determine that Erbitux is no longer
holding back the growth of her cancer.
She's looking into clinical trials in Hamilton and a cancer clinic in Buffalo, where new
drugs that haven't yet been approved are being tested.
"I have options. I have choices and they're good choices," she says.
"It's all about believing again that I'll handle whatever it is that's thrown at me. It's that
belief that I'll manage. And once you buy into that, things are a lot easier."
Aside from her research, Suzanne was also buoyed by a follow-up blood test last week.
The test showed her CEA count has dropped nearly all the way back to its usual level.
She doesn't know the reason for the sharp fluctuation, but she's relieved it has gone
down.
Suzanne will have a CT scan Wednesday at Hamilton's cancer centre to determine if
the cancer inside her has grown or spread.
She'll have to wait until next week to learn the results.
"I'm a little bit nervous about that, but I'm also back to thinking things are back to
normal, so hopefully everything's stable. If they're not stable, I have options."
pdowns@stcatharinesstandard.ca