How do clinical trials work? What actually happens when you enroll in one? And how do you find a trial that's right for you?
In this episode, small cell lung cancer survivor Wendy Brooks and thoracic oncologist Arthi Sridhar, MD, UT Southwestern Medical Center, join hosts Ann Steagall and Dr. Misty Shields to break down the intricacies of clinical trials—phases, safeguards in place, and what it's like to be a part of one.
Listen as Wendy shares her own experience moving through multiple trials after her cancer progressed on standard treatment. Dr. Sridhar walks through what a clinical trial actually involves, from the safety oversight behind every study to why a trial isn't just a last resort, but instead it's something patients can and should ask about at any point in their care.
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Featured Guests:
Wendy Brooks, small cell lung cancer survivor and advocate
Wendy Brooks is a small cell lung cancer survivor, patient advocate, and living testament to the power of pharmaceutical innovation in oncology. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, with her husband Larry, Wendy began annual lung cancer screening in 2018; five years of clear scans were followed by a 2023 small cell lung cancer diagnosis, caught early thanks to persistent screening.
When her disease progressed to extensive stage with brain metastases six months later, Wendy pursued clinical trials—first an antibody-drug conjugate that achieved a 65% tumor reduction, then a bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) immunotherapy that has maintained her stability since January 2025. Wendy advocates through LiveLung, LUNGevity, and the Lung Cancer Foundation of America, focusing on lung cancer screening, clinical trial access, and small cell lung cancer research.
By participating in these trials, I'm not just helping myself, but I'm helping those that are coming behind me.
-Wendy Brooks, small cell lung cancer survivor and advocate
Dr. Arthi Sridhar, thoracic oncologist and hematologist
Dr. Arthi Sridhar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she specializes in thoracic malignancies including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and thymic tumors. She completed a hematology and medical oncology fellowship at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, where she served as Chief Hematology and Oncology Fellow, and an advanced solid tumor oncology fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
A Winn Scholar and community-oriented clinical trialist, Dr. Sridhar's research interests include novel therapies, lung cancer in younger patients, and patient-centered approaches to cancer care. She is active in the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Clinical trials should be considered at every step in a patient's care.
-Dr. Arthi Sridhar, thoracic oncologist and hematologist
Key Topics Discussed in This Episode:
- What is a clinical trial? Dr. Sridhar defines the term and breaks down phases I through IV and what each phase is designed to answer
- Wendy's trial journey: from an antibody-drug conjugate that reduced her tumor burden by 65% to a bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) immunotherapy that continues to keep her stable today
- A treatment option, not a last resort: why patients can be eligible for a clinical trial at many points in their care journey—not just after standard treatment stops working
- Busting the “guinea pig” myth: how informed consent, institutional review boards (IRBs), and ongoing safety monitoring protect patients
- The role of the principal investigator (PI) and how a trial moves from idea to patient enrollment
- How today's standards of care were built on the clinical trial process
- What's expected of patients and care partners once they're enrolled in a trial
- Finding a trial that matches your specific disease: how to search clinicaltrials.gov and other tools, and how to talk to your care team about what might be available to you
Resources & Support:
- LUNGevity Clinical Trials – an overview of what clinical trials are, how they work, and how to find one
- Clinical Trials and Patient-Focused Research – available clinical trials and how patient input shapes research
- Clinical Trial Ambassadors – connect one-on-one with someone who's been on a clinical trial before you
- ClinicalTrials.gov – the U.S. government's full listing of open clinical trials
- UT Southwestern's Lung Cancer Program — learn more about UT Southwestern’s lung cancer program, where Dr. Sridhar treats patients with thoracic malignancies