Research is key to care, now and in the future

When facing a cancer diagnosis, many things may swirl through your mind, such as “I don’t understand why this is happening,” “What is treatment going to be like?” or “I have so many big decisions to make now.”

For Mark Glatzmaier, one decision was easy — choosing to participate in an observational research study during his chemotherapy treatment.

“There’s no money or whatever associated with it, and that’s fine with me,” he says. “For me, it was mainly that if I can contribute to the health of other people in the future, I’m more than willing to do that.”

Glatzmaier was diagnosed with cancer in November 2022. The 70-year-old Spokane resident arrived at MultiCare Deaconess Hospital’s emergency department complaining of persistent feelings of unwell and fatigue that he just couldn’t shake at home. After receiving three pints of blood and undergoing a colonoscopy, doctors discovered he had colon cancer.

“They scheduled me for surgery in December to remove part of the colon,” he says. “They did some more tests and sent 26 lymph nodes out for analysis … those indicated that I had stage 3 cancer.”

He was referred to the MultiCare Deaconess Cancer and Blood Specialty Center and medical oncologist and hematologist Brett Gourley, MD. After meeting with the team and discussing options, Glatzmaier settled on a six-month course of chemotherapy and was offered the opportunity to participate in an observational study.

As a participant, he gave a blood sample at his first treatment, which will be repeated at the three-month mark and final session.

The goal of observational studies is to track a patient’s progression over the course of treatment to help improve the care and quality of life for future patients on similar journeys.

“Medicine isn’t perfect. We can’t 100 percent treat and cure all ailments at the time, but we’re always trying to do better than what we’ve done in the past,”

Research is key to improving care

In partnership with the MultiCare Institute for Research and Innovation, Dr. Gourley screens patients for trials and studies they may qualify for.

Brett Gourley, MD, MultiCare Deaconess Cancer and Blood Specialty Center and medical oncologist and hematologist

“Medicine isn’t perfect. We can’t 100 percent treat and cure all ailments at the time, but we’re always trying to do better than what we’ve done in the past,” he says. “The only way to do that is clinical trials and research. Our goal is to get to the point [where] we can treat you, ultimately cure you and leave you in a state where you’re just as good or better than you were before.”

Access to research is especially important in oncology, Dr. Gourley says, because there’s still so much room for improvement in the field.

“My goal is to have a trial available to all patients at each level of their disease,” he says. “They don’t have to participate and it’s always up to them, but ideally they would have the option.”

Of course, there can be hesitancy in that decision, Dr. Gourley adds. But his team works closely with patients to be transparent, informative and ensure they feel confident in their decision.

Treatment and research aren’t linear

A disease like cancer hardly ever progresses in a straight line, which is why Dr. Gourley meets with patients regularly to assess how treatment is going and whether a different course of action is needed.

Research trials are just another option for many patients, he says.

Dr. Gourley recalls one patient who started with an oral hormonal agent to treat metastatic breast cancer, which he says worked well for a period. But as their cancer progressed, they had to switch to an injectable hormonal agent. Again, that only worked for a period and they eventually came to a point that their only option was intravenous chemo, which for many patients comes with severe side effects.

“But we had a trial option for [them] … and [they’ve] been able to avoid IV chemo,” he says. “Chemo has done good for a lot of people and will continue to do so, but we know you don’t necessarily have to face all those side effects for your care to be effective.”

Looking to the future

Dr. Gourley was recognized in 2022 as the MultiCare Institute for Research and Innovation Research Investigator of the Year for his work in promoting research in the clinical setting.

“It was a big surprise,” he says of the award. “Having research available is incredibly important, so I’ve been happy to work with [the Research Institute] and make sure our patients have these cutting-edge techniques and treatments available.”

Along with providing beneficial information for the future care of other patients, Dr. Gourley says having trials available elevates the level of medicine and care MultiCare can provide and brings greater insight into what’s coming. By knowing more about new treatments, the care team can better prepare patients and loop in other specialists as needed, he says.

That dedication to improving the patient experience is something Glatzmaier says has been apparent every step of his care journey.

“All the doctors and nurses I’ve been in contact with have been very concerned with my condition and they don’t just take it as an everyday thing,” he says.

From the beginning, the team explained all his options in detail, including possible trials and studies, and empowered him to make the decisions he felt were best, Glatzmaier says.

Despite facing other serious health conditions in recent years, including going into full cardiac arrest in 2010 and being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes the following day, he says the cancer diagnosis came as a complete surprise.

“It didn’t seem to be hereditary or anything. It was just one of those mutations that can pop up at any time,” Glatzmaier says. “I don’t count my sufferings; I count my blessings.”