Eagle River - Clinical trials help researchers bring new medical science to patients all over the world.
One Eagle River woman became the first person to participate in a new trial designed to help breast cancer patients.

Ann Keup of Eagle River was the first person to take part in a landmark clinical trial that changed the way breast cancer is treated.

According to Ann, "I wanted to be around for my family and I know with the aggressiveness of my cancer I needed something and I needed something different in order to survive." Ann was diagnosed with Her-2 Positive Breast Cancer, an aggressive form of the disease that has a high rate of reoccurrence. She keeps up-to-date on the latest research and says she trusted her doctors when they offered her a chance to be in the study.

According to Dr. Dhimant Patel from the Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay, "We have maximized what we can do with chemotherapy.
We were looking at other avenues of how to stop cancer cells from coming back."

Ann took the drug Herceptin. For the first time this drug was used in the preventative setting. Doctors say the drug manipulates the genetic makeup of the cancer cells, destroying their DNA.

Dr. Patel says, "Like a cruise missile it goes to the cancer cells and only targets those cells and blocks the receptors that stimulates the cell growth."

Doctors say the drug dramatically improved survival rates more than traditional chemotherapy. So much so the study was closed prematurely.

Ann says, "It's mind boggling. I just think its what I did to save my life."

Ann's cancer did come back a second time. But she says Herceptin is helping her beat it again. She says attitude makes a difference when it comes to beating the disease.

According to Ann, "We're still here and you know there's hope for all of us. And attitude does play a huge part and your right team of doctors."

Hope that not only will there be new treatments, but hopefully a cure for breast cancer patients worldwide.

Ann's doctors say the drug Herceptin also showed lower heart-related side effects than traditional chemotherapy.