Cervical cancer survivor credits a clinical trial for long-term remission.

Aricca Wallace was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer and a tumor about the size of a baby's head; she enrolled in a 2012 National Cancer Institute–supported clinical trial and has been cancer-free for more than 13 years.

Aricca Wallace discovered bleeding in her 30s that led to a diagnosis of stage 3 cervical cancer and a tumor described as roughly the size of a baby's head. After chemotherapy and radiation, scans in early 2012 showed the cancer had spread and doctors said a cure was unlikely. In May 2012 she joined a clinical trial conducted with the National Cancer Institute, Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJBarnabas Health. She has remained cancer-free for more than 13 years and now speaks about cervical cancer and the research that treated her. Key details: - Diagnosis and tumor: Wallace had stage 3 cervical cancer and a large tumor that caused heavy bleeding; routine Pap tests had not detected the tumor earlier. - Prognosis in 2012: Scans showed the disease had spread and physicians reported that curing the cancer was unlikely, with a limited life expectancy forecast at that time. - Clinical trial: In May 2012 she enrolled in a Maryland clinical trial run in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and Rutgers Cancer Institute; the trial involved removing a tumor and returning lab-grown immune cells targeted to her cancer. - Treatment status: The trial treatment is described as experimental and not an approved standard therapy; research has continued, including efforts using engineered cells from patients' blood. - Outcome and current role: By late 2012 her tumors had largely regressed and she has been cancer-free for over 13 years; she remains connected with her treating doctor, Christian Hinrichs, and raises awareness about cervical cancer research. Summary: Wallace's case describes a patient with advanced cervical cancer who entered an experimental immunotherapy trial and achieved a sustained remission after an initial prognosis that offered few options. Undetermined at this time.