From Terminal Diagnosis to Senior Olympics: Jana’s Story Demonstrates the Power of Clinical Trials

The pool water rippled as Jana Longwith sliced through her lane at the YMCA, her strokes steady and strong as she prepared for the Senior Olympics. Just two years earlier, the Oklahoma City resident was confined to a wheelchair, struggling to breathe on high-flow oxygen and facing what doctors believed was a terminal diagnosis.

Today, at 66, Jana is a cancer survivor. She credits her night-and-day transformation to a groundbreaking clinical trial at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center and the expertise of Stephenson Cancer Center hematologist and oncologist Dr. Susanna Ulahannan, M.D., M.M.Ed. Dr. Ulahannan specializes in phase I clinical trials and the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers and is an associate professor in the section of hematology/oncology at the OU College of Medicine.

“I consider [cancer] more like a chronic illness now,” Jana said. “I know it’s metastatic and all that, but I just feel like I’m living with a chronic illness. It’s easier mentally to take it that way.”

Jana’s Decades-Long Battle

Jana’s cancer journey began in December 2003. She was diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. She underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, all while dealing with a ruptured disc in her back that needed multiple surgeries.

The cancer came back in 2012. Jana had a mastectomy and more chemotherapy, along with hormonal therapy medications. The medications had harsh side effects that made it hard for her to tolerate.

In March 2021, Jana began having severe chest pain she couldn’t lie down. A PET scan showed a large mass in her chest. This time she had radiation treatment and standard therapy like chemotherapy or hormone therapy. By January 2022, her scans looked good, so her doctors paused treatment.

However, by August 2022, the cancer was back, and this time with a vengeance. It had spread to her sternum, ribs, lungs, and lymph nodes. That’s when Jana turned to OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center to see Dr. Ulahannan. It was a critical juncture in her treatment.

“When I got to Stephenson, I was thrilled,” Jana said. “They really listened to me. I was just a bystander in my treatment before. I do not get that feeling at OU Health at all. I go in a lot of times with a list of notes of things I need to ask them about, and they are very patient. They’re great.”

The Clinical Trials That Turned the Tide

One of the first things Dr. Ulahannan did was check if Jana could take part in clinical trial.

“The goal for every patient walking through the doors here should be a clinical trial,” Dr. Ulahannan said.

Jana’s first trial combined chemotherapy with an ATR inhibitor. An ATR inhibitor is a drug that blocks cancer cells from repairing their DNA, making it more likely for them to die. When the treatment stopped working, she switched to standard care for a time. Then, in August 2024, she enrolled in a second trial.

This new trial used an antibody-drug conjugate, a targeted chemotherapy that attacks cancer cells expressing a protein called HER2. The results have been extraordinary.

“She has not had any other treatment that she’s felt this good on that also has an effect on her cancer,” Dr. Ulahannan said. “She started this treatment in August of 2024, so she’s been almost a year on this trial, and like I said, she never tolerated any other treatment as good as this one.”

The change has been dramatic. Once in a wheelchair and on oxygen, Jana is now swimming again. Her performance status is rated at zero, which means she can do whatever she wants without restrictions.

“The last time I saw her here with her last scan, she said, ‘I have never felt better,’” Dr. Ulahannan said. “She’s just a joy to see. She just feels amazing on this trial.”

Advancing New Treatments in Oklahoma

OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center is the only cancer treatment center in Oklahoma offering phase 1 clinical trials. This gives patients access to new treatments years before they become widely available. These trials are crucial — not just for advancing cancer care, but for giving hope to patients who may have had few or no other options.

“If we don’t do clinical trials, we’ll never have new treatments,” Dr. Ulahannan said. “Patients like Jana are making a sacrifice, making these extra trips and extra blood draws just to further research. But when there is a drug that’s very effective, they do get access to it earlier than anyone else.”

Jana’s journey took an unexpected turn at the YMCA. An employee saw her swimming and suggested she compete in the Senior Games. At first, Jana brushed it off because of her cancer diagnosis. But the comment stuck with her and her competitive nature took over. Now she’s training for the Senior Olympics.

“She said, ‘You’re swimming today, aren’t you,’” Jana recalled. “And I was like, ‘Good point.’ That really made me think — I am doing okay today.”

Jana’s story demonstrates the power of clinical trials and the importance of never giving up. Her willingness to participate in research not only transformed her own life, but also helped advance cancer treatment for other patients.

“She’s very interested in being part of clinical trials and furthering research,” Dr. Ulahannan said. “She has this very noble character where she genuinely wants to help others.”

Now, as Jana sets her sights on the Senior Olympics, she serves as inspiration to others with cancer, proof that even a terminal diagnosis doesn’t have to mean giving up on your dreams.

Learn more about breast cancer care at Stephenson Cancer Center and learn more about clinical trials near you, or call 1 (800) 422-4626 to make an appointment at any of OU Health’s mammography locations near you.