Even though she was not yet 40 years old, Latrivia Carter knew exactly what she faced after being diagnosed with Stage 2 triple-negative breast cancer late in 2022. That’s because just two years earlier, one of Carter’s sisters passed away from the same disease.

“I instantly panicked, because I was thinking about what my sister went through and how she didn’t make it,” Carter says.

So Carter decided to try something different. Under the guidance of Katia Khoury, M.D., an assistant professor in the UAB Division of Hematology and Oncology, Carter enrolled in the I-SPY 2 clinical trial, which incorporates new medications to treat breast cancer in a more personalized way, with less chemotherapy.

“During the trial, the people at UAB were very encouraging. They kept saying, ‘You’re going to get through this. We’re going to figure it out.’ They constantly stayed in touch with me and helped me if I had any issues.”

Latrivia Carter

“I saw what my sister went through with regular chemo, and I don’t think I could have done that,” Carter says. “I’m sure Dr. Khoury knew I was thinking about my sister, so she made me feel at ease. She explained everything very carefully and gave me different choices (for treatment), including the trial study.

“During the trial, the people at UAB were very encouraging. They kept saying, ‘You’re going to get through this. We’re going to figure it out.’ They constantly stayed in touch with me and helped me if I had any issues.”

As part of the trial, Carter received a new medication combined with standard immunotherapy. Her reaction to the treatment was closely monitored through a series of regular MRI exams.

“That way we could see in real time how she was responding to treatment,” Khoury says. “If she were having a good response, we could omit more of the standard chemotherapy. So we personalized the treatment in an effort to optimize the standard of care, and also minimize toxicity for the patient.”

Carter’s response wasn’t merely good. Khoury says it was “fantastic.” Her tumor shrank significantly within months, to the point that Carter ended up needing only one round of chemotherapy followed by clean-up surgery in September of 2023. She was declared cancer-free less than a year after her initial diagnosis.

“Her cancer just melted away,” Khoury says. “She had a complete response. Nearly 2 years later, there is no evidence of cancer in her breast or lymph nodes.”

In addition, Carter says she experienced no major side effects from the trial medication. During treatment, she continued to go to work and take care of her three children. Because of such positive responses, Khoury says this treatment was recently approved as a standard of care for advanced breast cancer.

“I had no bad experiences, other than a few moments where I felt tired. But for the most part, it was a breeze,” Carter says. “This trial study was heaven-sent. It did so much for me.”