With three grandkids, one great-grandchild, and another great-grandchild on the way, Barbara’s heart and hands are full of love. With a zest and appreciation for life, at 77 years old, Barbara considered herself the picture of perfect health. She treasured the ease with which she could get down on the floor and play with her ever-growing family.
But all that changed in June of 2025 when Barbara was diagnosed with metastatic HR-/HER2+ breast cancer, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that had spread to her lungs and required immediate chemotherapy.
“I was mad at God,” Barbara admits. “Now, I can’t get on the floor with my grandchildren. It takes a toll on you physically, emotionally, and spiritually.”
Her very first chemotherapy treatment left her exhausted and feeling sick. She even started to notice her hair falling out almost immediately.
Yet even in the midst of the heartache, uncertainty, and fatigue, Barbara’s first inclination was to give back and improve options for other women going through the same journey. “When I got cancer, I knew I wanted BAMF to be involved,” she said. “They’re doing the investigative work to get the results I and other people need.”
Innovative Breast Cancer Imaging Clinical Trial
She went straight to BAMF’s website and began looking through the list of clinical trials, and found a non-invasive imaging trial for HR-/HER2+ breast cancer—her exact cancer type.
The innovative clinical trial explores whether cancer cells in patients like Barbara express certain markers that might one day aid in developing a radiopharmaceutical treatment for those with this subset of cancer. Currently, a radiopharmaceutical treatment does not exist.
“Each trial, like this one, is a building block toward understanding whether precision medicine can improve imaging and therapy,” said Dan Rogers, the Director of BAMF Health’s Clinical Trials Platform. “We want to be a force, along with our active West Michigan community and beyond, in rapidly making more and better care options available.”
To qualify for this particular trial, a participant must be 18 years or older, have biopsy-confirmed HR-/HER2+ metastatic breast cancer, and at least one tumor must be visible on CT or MRI imaging.
Participation is simple and requires only a one-time visit to BAMF Health for a PET scan. The appointment takes approximately 4-6 hours, and participants receive a $500 stipend for time and travel expenses. In the case of this trial, the patient’s PET scan image can also be shared with their treating physician, if desired.
Supporting Future Options for Women
Barbara knows that participating in this trial may not impact her care directly, but she’s hopeful it will benefit other women in the future. “I just want it to be easier for others,” she said. “If I help them find treatments faster that cause fewer side effects, so they can get back to their lives, I want to do that. Without the research and people to participate in trials, we can’t move forward.”
Barbara hopes this clinical trial leads to opportunities to catch cancer sooner, before it spreads like hers did. She knows first-hand how important it is to take immediate action after a diagnosis instead of waiting.
“Cancer can move so quickly from organ to organ, and every minute you wait, the cancer is spreading,” she said. “Don’t take time to process and think. Move quickly. Waiting is your enemy.”
Barbara doesn’t know what the outcome of her cancer journey will be, but she’d rather focus on life, whether it’s hers or the lives of others.
“I thought, ‘What can I do other than sit here and suffer? I can call BAMF.’ It takes courage to do this, and I have courage. God gave me courage.”
To learn more about this non-invasive breast cancer imaging trial and review eligibility criteria, visit: https://www.bamfhealth.com/news/bamf-health-seeks-breast-cancer-patients-for-groundbreaking-imaging-study/
