Surviving Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Dana Jones’ Journey and the Impact of Clinical Trials

When active 44-year-old mom Dana Jones of Bixby, Oklahoma, walked into an emergency room one autumn evening in 2021 seeking relief, her life took an unthinkable detour.

"I thought I had severe constipation when I went to the ER," Dana said. "I had no idea it was cancer at all."

But the bombshell CT scan results revealed a devastating reality — Dana had Stage IV colorectal cancer that had spread to her liver. Rather than making it home for her child’s soccer game that evening, she was being prepped for emergency surgery the very next morning.

"They told me I had a complete blockage, and the cancer had metastasized to my liver," Dana said. "I just couldn't process it. They asked if I could call someone because I needed surgery immediately. I kept thinking, 'There's no way this is right.'"

But it was all too real. Part of Dana's colon was removed in a life-changing operation that altered her world in an instant. With two young children at home, including an adopted teenage daughter who had already lost her biological mom to cancer, Dana found herself squaring off against her own mortality.

"My kids were young, and there was no way I was giving up," she said. "I was just not willing to do that."

Her determination to beat the diagnosis led her to OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center in Oklahoma City and to a promising clinical trial that turned the tables on what was otherwise a bleak diagnosis.

An Academic Oasis of Hope

Dana's oncologist realized she needed a higher level of care to fight this level of metastatic cancer. He referred her to hematologist/oncologist and Director of the Oklahoma TSET Phase I Cancer Clinical Trials Program Dr. Susanna Ulahannan, M.D., MMeD, associate professor in the Section of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.

In November 2021, Dana embarked on an intensive treatment journey guided by Dr. Ulahannan and the Stephenson Cancer Center team. This included enrollment in a promising Phase III clinical trial, cycles of chemotherapy with excellent response, and then liver embolization and removal of 55 percent of Dana's liver where the colon cancer had spread.

"They removed 55% of my liver in April 2022," Dana said, "and then my liver grew back. Isn't that amazing that your liver can do that?"

Because Dana was on a double-blind Phase III trial, she had a 50% chance of receiving the study drug. Dana’s participation in a late-phase trial shows the progression of clinical trials. These later phase trials are closer to potentially becoming new standard treatments, but in a double-blind study, not all participants receive the experimental drug. All participants however still receive the standard of care that comes with clinical trials, including personalized attention, frequent monitoring and assessments beyond what standard care offers.

Although Dana did not actually receive the trial drug, she had excellent response with almost 50% shrinkage to standard of care chemotherapy and anti VEGF therapy on imaging and after surgery the pathology revealed prominent treatment effect with minimal residual tumor.

“I think the body, mind and soul are very connected, and cancer itself takes a lot of your energy and makes you feel poorly,” Dr. Ulahannan said. “Treating the growing cancer makes patients feel better. There is so much extra care when you go on a trial compared to standard care, so I think patients overall feel like they're well-taken care of and monitored when they're on a trial.”

While participating in the trial, Dana found a team armed with the latest research and a potent blend of compassion and expertise.

"The team at Stephenson Cancer Center always showed support and were there for anything I needed," Dana said. "I felt like I could talk to the research nurses, and they always called me back whenever I needed something."

Throughout her treatment, Dana’s hope never wavered, propelled by her fighting spirit and the steadfast care surrounding her every step. She said the connection she had with the team at Stephenson Cancer Center was instrumental in her recovery.

A Life Reclaimed With NCI-Designated Care & Medicine

While the clinical trial participation was trial-based high-reward interventions, along with standard liver surgery, it was a regimen Dr. Ulahannan knew provided Dana's best chance.

“For me, it is important to be an educator for my patients. I present the trial data and what options are out there, and then it's up to them to decide what they want to do,” Dr. Ulahannan said. “If they have made an informed choice, it's easier for them to cope with the side effects and treatment visits because they've been part of the decision process.”

Despite not receiving the trial drug, Dana said her outcome was “amazing.”

"They said that my response was not typical," Dana shared. "I can't help but credit that to the care I got from Stephenson Cancer Center."

After a two-year treatment odyssey of recurrences and setbacks that would've shaken anyone's resolve, that care has given Dana a new lease on life. At age 46, she now shows no active cancer.

Today, when she straps into the passenger seat of the minivan and cheers from the sidelines as her 9-year-old son carves up the turf at his soccer games, Dana is the walking embodiment of what she calls "perseverance." Each thump of the ball is a heart-filling reminder of those evenings two years earlier when cancer nearly snatched away her most cherished role - being mom.

"I want other people who have a similar diagnosis or any cancer diagnosis to give Stephenson Cancer Center a chance," Dana said. "They quite literally saved my life."

The Importance of Clinical Trials & Advancing Research

Dana knows her story wouldn't be possible without advances in medical research and clinical trials offered at academic cancer centers like Stephenson Cancer Center. Only about 5% of adult cancer patients enroll in clinical trials, yet they are critical for developing and testing new treatments to improve outcomes.

Stephenson Cancer Center is built on the principle that multidisciplinary specialty teams working in concert to provide the highest quality, most technologically advanced service to each patient will achieve the best outcomes.

With about 300 early phase clinical trials available for patients to enroll in every year and the state’s only Phase 1 clinical trials program, Stephenson Cancer Center is at the frontline of cancer research and treatment innovation. It is also the state’s only National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center.

"I feel like it's the reason I'm here today," Dana said. "I mean, I had never taken chemo before, had any other experience with it, but stage 4 colon cancer that spreads to the liver - that's not a very good outcome. And I've had an amazing outcome."

Facilities like Stephenson Cancer Center are uniquely equipped to offer these leading-edge treatment opportunities, combining rigorously trained clinical researchers, specialized services and oversight processes to ensure patient safety.

OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center announced its expansion to the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa and a new collaboration with Hillcrest HealthCare System to bring the highest level of research-driven cancer care to Tulsa and the surrounding region. The expansions mark a significant milestone in providing access to research-driven cancer care to northeastern Oklahoma residents and will offer local patients unparalleled access to advanced cancer treatments and hundreds of innovative clinical trials for multiple cancers.

An Appeal for Colorectal Cancer Awareness & Screening

Beyond raising awareness for clinical trials, Dana feels compelled to bring awareness to one of the most insidious diseases – colorectal cancer. It's the third leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., expected to claim over 50,000 lives this year. It often doesn’t have symptoms until the disease has already progressed.

"Colorectal cancer is a silent killer," Dana said. "Even one of my surgeons told me it's becoming an epidemic and more and more young people are being diagnosed with it."

Her own malignancy went unsuspected for over three years before vague constipation and stomach pains prompted the fateful emergency room visit in October 2021.

"I literally didn't have the symptoms, but I had this cancer growing inside me for over three years. By the time I felt anything, it was Stage IV,” she said.

Prevention and early detection are the most effective ways to successfully treat cancer in Oklahoma and nationally. Stephenson Cancer Center sponsors a variety of community-based screening programs to promote awareness and to assist with the early detection of cancer. Some were specifically developed to address high-incidence cancers in at-risk populations in the state.

"My son will need to start getting screened 10 years before I was diagnosed, so in his early 30s," Dana said. "I want people to be aware of their bodies and get checked, even before any symptoms. It's worth taking the time – everyone owes it to themselves."

Dana’s story underscores the vital importance of screening, early detection and advanced care available at facilities like OU Health. As she celebrates her two-year “cancer-versary” this spring, the Bixby mom is embracing every new day as the precious gift it is.

"Having Stage IV colorectal cancer that spread was pretty grim," Dana said, "but my team at Stephenson helped me persevere. I'm forever thankful for that. They changed my life."

Learn more about clinical trials at Stephenson Cancer Center or ask your physician about other life-saving treatments available.