How Access to a Mayo Clinic Trial Helped MN ONC Patient With Rare and Aggressive Cancer Diagnoses

When a 55-year-old patient arrived at Minnesota Oncology with a rare and aggressive diagnosis of anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), Sandeep Jain, MBBS, medical oncologist and hematologist, faced a grim prognosis. “ATC accounts for less than 1% of thyroid cancers, and patients often survive only a few months,” Dr. Jain explains. Standard treatments were unlikely to work, but he was determined to find a path forward. 

Minnesota Oncology is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, giving their specialists access to several of Mayo Clinic’s clinical resources, including AskMayoExpert (AME), a point-of-care tool that offers clinical information on hundreds of medical conditions. Using AME, Dr. Jain identified an available interventional clinical trial tailored for ATC patients with a specific genetic mutation called BRAF, which causes the gene to produce an abnormal protein and can lead to uncontrolled cell division and tumor growth.  

The trial was led by Mabel Ryder, M.D., an endocrinologist-oncologist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester. Acting swiftly, Dr. Jain reached out to Dr. Ryder to schedule a consult and secure his patient a spot in the trial. He also requested pathology to confirm that the BRAF mutation was present. 

“By the time the patient went for the consult with Dr. Ryder, we had confirmed that he had the BRAF mutation, making him eligible for the clinical trial,” Dr. Jain says. “I was pleased, as it is a very hard-to-treat and rare cancer.” 

The patient’s tumor—a 10-centimeter mass pressing on his airway and making it difficult to breathe—responded well to the targeted and immune therapies offered through the trial. “The masses shrank, he was able to eat, and a lot of his symptoms were better,” he says. “The Mayo Clinic trial made a significant difference in this patient’s clinical course. Without access to this trial, he likely wouldn’t have survived as long as he has.” 

Reflecting on the process, Dr. Jain emphasized the benefits of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. “When looking for clinical trials, we first check clinicaltrials.gov,” he says. “There are a lot of clinical trials, and it is hard to sift through them to find one that matches the need. Working in a busy clinic, it is difficult to find the time to do that. AME’s feature made it easier to navigate clinical trials specific to the patient’s condition. It’s invaluable when time is critical.” 

Another resource Dr. Jain has used in his practice is eBoards, which are also offered through the Care Network. eBoards are live multidisciplinary, multisite discussions that offer informal advice regarding diagnostic tests and treatment options for complex cases virtually. “I’ve presented several cases to the eBoards, which is helpful when I would like additional input on difficult cases,” he says. “The benefit of the [Mayo Clinic Care Network] collaboration is that we have access to additional resources and expertise that can benefit patients battling rare and challenging cancers, as in this case.”