Ron Artel was never overly concerned about having regular check-ups.  At 47, he had been healthy for years, and his feeling was: “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” Cancer, though, is a disease in which there are often no symptoms in its earliest stages. When Artel finally went in for a routine physical exam in August 2003, he thought all was well, but the results of his tests would tell a different, and life-changing, story.

It was after his physical that Artel was told by the doctor he had an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. The PSA is a protein produced by the cells in the prostate gland, and an elevated level of it found in the blood, in some cases, may be an indication of prostate cancer. Artel was advised to see a specialist, which he did in October 2003.  The specialist discovered a lump in Artel’s prostate. A biopsy was done, and soon afterward, he received the terrible news – it was cancer. Surgery and radiation therapy were recommended.

Artel knew that a difficult journey for him and his family lay ahead. Prostate cancer is currently the second leading cause of cancer death among men. In the United States, one man in six is estimated to develop prostate cancer during his lifetime, and the American Cancer Society estimates that there were more than 230,000 newly diagnosed cases in 2005.

For Artel, learning that he had prostate cancer could have been a troubling start to his new year, but instead he chose to be optimistic and faced the journey with courage and acceptance.  He remembers, “I don’t recall being upset.  I just wanted to do everything that was physically possible to eradicate it.  My thoughts were:  ‘Let’s do the surgery; let’s treat it as aggressively as possible.’  I put my faith and trust in my doctors, and I decided to have a positive attitude.”  Although Artel handled his diagnosis well, his wife felt a little differently.  “There’s just no other way to say it than I just freaked out.  Initially, I was very upset, but when the doctors told us that they had caught it early and it improved Ron’s chances, I felt some relief and was able to calm down.”   

After his surgery in January 2004, both Artel and his wife began to feel confident about his future, confident that they could move forward with their lives.   However, their confidence was shaken when at a follow-up visit, they were informed that his PSA level was still elevated. 

“I began growing very concerned,” he recalls. “I had a lot of problems dealing emotionally with the fact that once again I was going to have to fight cancer.  I began realizing that my time could be short, and I started to think about God more.”  Despite his fears, Artel and his wife did not give up hope, and they started investigating different options.  On his search, he says he heard good things about Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute, that it had a strong prostate cancer program with some of the best physicians and researchers in the field.  Artel says he knew that he wanted to be at Winship. He was referred to see Vasily Assikis, MD, associate professor of hematology and oncology and director of Winship’s Prostate Cancer Translational Research Program.

During Artel’s first visit, Dr. Assikis conducted a series of tests and found that Artel’s cancer had spread.  Once again, the Artels were overwhelmed by the news, but once again, they were determined to embrace hope. Together, they made the decision to enroll Artel in a Phase III clinical trial at Winship that seeks to compare the effectiveness of an experimental vaccine (CG1940 and CG8711) to chemotherapy (docetaxel and prednisone).

CG1940 and CG8711 are two parts of a vaccine that is made from prostate cancer cells.  Vaccination (also called immunotherapy) is another treatment option for cancer, and the intention is to stimulate the body’s immune system to destroy cancer cells. Dr. Assikis, principal investigator on the clinical trial, says, “Clinical trials play an important, integral part in cancer research.  This comparative clinical study being conducted at Winship will help determine the efficacy and safety of using the CG1940 and CG8711 vaccine, which is still in the investigative stage.”

Patients like Artel choose to participate in clinical trials for a variety of personal and medical reasons.  For Artel’s, he says, “I was in a situation where I didn’t know what the future held for me.  I thought why not be involved in something where the data and results can be looked at, and hopefully sometime in the future, there could potentially be a new, more effective treatment option or even a cure.  I really wanted to be a part of the study that could someday help somebody else, that could make a difference.” 

The Phase III clinical trial is randomized and open-label, meaning the treatment that the participating patients receive (vaccine versus chemotherapy) is randomly selected and they are informed of it. Artel was randomly selected for the chemotherapy.  While he says that he was hoping to be chosen for the vaccine, he is now happy to be in the chemotherapy group of the study. “The chemotherapy has been working wonders,” he says, “Dr. Assikis has been pleased with how well I have been responding to it.  Currently, I’m considered to be in remission.”   Artel has experienced minimal side effects from the chemotherapy treatments, but he says that he is not bothered by them. “Chemotherapy takes a lot out of me, but for the rest of the week afterward, I feel fine.  It’s worth it to have a week of fatigue and then be able to go back to my life.”  Smiling, he goes on to note that one of the best parts of receiving chemotherapy is the lollipop treat he receives each visit from one of the nurses who administers his treatment.

Artel credits the success that he has been having with his treatment to his healthcare team, which includes Dr. Assikis, research study nurse Linda Vrooman, RN, BSN, CNOR, data manager Kristin Roberts, BS. He also notes that his personal support system of his wife and his family has been as instrumental. Artel says, “Having my wife with me has played an enormous role in my getting through this experience.  Just having her love and the incredible support from my family – it gives me a lot of strength.”

A survivor, Ron Artel feels his battle with prostate cancer has given him a newfound sense of purpose. He notes, “I have been living healthier.  I try not to take anything for granted.  I focus on being close to and involved with my family and their lives.  I have two wonderful granddaughters, and I want to watch them grow.”  Feeling grateful to have a second chance, Artel says, “I want to experience life at its fullest.”   

For information or questions regarding the Phase III randomized, open-label study of CG1940 and CG811 versus docetaxel and prednisone for prostate cancer patients, contact Linda Vrooman at 404-778-5144.

Read more Emory Healthcare patient stories