“Country Ever After” star Criscilla Anderson, 46, is living with stage 4 colorectal cancer. Her six-year cancer journey is taking a hopeful turn as she’s participating in a Phase 1 clinical trial.
Clinical trials help doctors better understand cancer and discover more effective treatment methods. They also allow patients to try a treatment before it’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which can potentially be life-changing.
Despite the great benefits of clinical trials, they also come with risks (like potential side effects that are not fully understood yet). People interested in participating in clinical trials must first talk with their doctor to see if they would be a good fit.
So far, Anderson’s treatment involved chemotherapy and participation in a different trial in Germany where her white blood cells were remanufactured to help fight cancer cells. When living with stage 4 cancer, efforts tend to shift from seeking a cure to learning how to live with your disease and managing your symptoms.
“Country Ever After” star Criscilla Anderson’s six-year journey with metastatic colon cancer takes a hopeful turn as she participates in a clinical trial meant to aid her ongoing cancer treatment. Anderson, 46, is the wife of country music singer Coffey Anderson and a mother of four.
Anderson has brought fans along for her cancer journey since her diagnosis in 2018. For years, she’s traveled between her home in Texas and California for treatment, but now she says she’s the fourth patient on a phase one clinical trial.
Metastatic (stage 4) colon cancer means the tumor has spread outside the colon. The advanced stages of colorectal cancer are not always curable. However, since many treatment options are available, the disease can often be managed, even in its late stages.
Clinical trials help doctors better understand cancer and discover more effective treatment methods. They also allow patients to try a treatment before it’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which can be life-changing. For patients diagnosed with advanced diseases, like Anderson, clinical trials may be an option for finding an effective treatment.
“I will spend the next six weeks going back and forth to California while trying to be home in Texas as often as possible. Then, every third week, I’ll be in California until the trial ends,” Anderson said in an Instagram post.
WATCH: Treatments doctors use to turn stage 4 colon cancer into a chronic but manageable disease.
Anderson said her cancer had already spread to her lungs, abdominal cavity, and liver, which she had surgically removed.
“Let us pray that this trial not only shrinks the cancer but that God gives a miracle and dissolves this disease completely,” Anderson said.
Coffey and Criscilla Anderson and their family. Courtesy of Facebook.
While the famous hip-hop dancer did not indicate which clinical trial she’s participating in and what it entails, she says she’s keeping her family and faith on her mind as she moves forward in her journey.
“I have so much life to live, and I want to watch my babies grow up. And I want to grow old with my husband. They deserve that,” Anderson added.
What to Consider When Clinical Trials Are an Option?
Within the U.S., all new drugs must go through clinical trials before the FDA approves them. Although the rewards of clinical trials can be great, they also come with risks. Talking to your doctor about this before enrolling in a trial is important. Some risks to consider include:
The risk of harm and/or side effects due to experimental treatments
Researchers may be unaware of some potential side effects of experimental treatments
The treatment may not work for you, even if it has worked for others
Dr. Beth Karlan is a gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Health. She says clinical trials aim to advance cancer research to the point where the disease becomes manageable, akin to diabetes.
“Clinical trials hopefully can benefit you, but is also providing very, very vital information to the whole scientific community about the effectiveness of these treatments,” Dr. Karlan said.
“They can be life-saving. We’ve seen many in the last few years of children and adults who have participated in trials and have had miraculous results,” Dr. Karlan continued.
WATCH: Clinical trials can be life-saving.
Before you enroll in a trial, you must be allowed to read the consent documents thoroughly and to ask any questions you may have. The documents will likely contain the following:
The purpose of the research
Any risks and benefits expected from the research
Information about procedures that may cause discomfort (like frequent blood tests)
Any alternative procedures the patient might consider instead
How the patient’s information will be kept private
How long the study is expected to take
A form confirming you are participating in research voluntarily
Whether any compensation or additional medical care is available if some sort of injury occurs
The patient’s rights (like the right to stop research in the middle of the trial)
Contacts for any patient questions
Patients are allowed to walk away at any time during the trial. Understanding your rights as a voluntary patient is important before you participate in a clinical trial, and understanding that the treatment may not work is also crucial.
Do Clinical Trials Cost Participants Anything?
Clinical trials may also be free for participants, as the study’s sponsor may pay for the treatment and any additional care. Some sponsors even pay for travel to and from appointments or treatment centers. Patients should ask what will be paid before signing up to participate in a trial.
The Affordable Care Act also mandates that health insurance companies cover routine patient care costs while people are enrolled in clinical trials.
How Criscilla’s Navigated Her Cancer Journey So Far
Criscilla has been open about her stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis, which came in 2018. Stage 4 colon cancer means the cancer has spread beyond the colon and onto other parts of the body.
She underwent years of treatment, including chemotherapy, which helped shrink her tumors. She had a brief moment of reprieve in late 2021 when her scans found no evidence of disease. However, a few months later, in early 2022, Criscilla’s cancer had returned to her lymph nodes.
She’s still managing her disease with the added support of her country music singer husband, Coffey Anderson.
WATCH: Managing Metastatic Colon Cancer.
“I applaud you for NOT giving up, never stopping, or throwing in the towel,” he said in a social media post.
The most common type of chemotherapy for metastatic (stage 4) colon cancer is FOLFOX, and your doctor may add medications like irinotecan (FOLFIRI) or cetuximab depending on how well your tumor shrinks with treatment and other specifics about your particular tumor. For FOLFOX, the medications are given through the vein and require regular doctor visits.
Undergoing Regular Colorectal Cancer Screenings Helps Manage Your Cancer Risk
The American Gastrointestinal Association lowered the recommended initial age for a colorectal screening from 50 to 45.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends guidelines that state colon cancer screenings should begin at 45 years old. This is in response to the increase we see in colon cancer diagnoses in younger adults.
A colonoscopy is a procedure doctors use to screen for colon cancer by looking inside your colon.
This procedure requires your colon to be “cleaned out.” To clear out your colon, your doctor will prescribe a “bowel prep,” a liquid you drink the night before the procedure. The prep acts as a laxative that causes you to have multiple loose stools before your procedure.
Once your colon is cleared out, the gastroenterologist performing the procedure can have a clear look to evaluate if any polyps or masses are present.
Depending on the size and number of polyps found, it is recommended that patients undergo a repeat colonoscopy within three to five years.
WATCH: Understanding a colonoscopy
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, previously explained the colonoscopy procedure to SurvivorNet.
“When we see a polyp, we actually physically take the polyp out through the colonoscope,” he explained.
“What does that mean? That means we basically put a wire through with a little bit of a little flange at the end, and we pull the polyp out. Now, note there is no pain with that. Inside the colon, there are no pain fibers. So there’s no pain,” Dr. Murrell added.
The advantage of a colonoscopy is that your doctor can remove any polyps found during the test. Many colon cancers can be caught on colonoscopy before they develop or when the polyps are small enough to be removed without surgery.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you are facing a colon cancer diagnosis, here are some questions you may ask your doctor.
What are my treatment options based on my diagnosis?
If I’m worried about managing the costs of cancer care, who can help me?
What support services are available to me? To my family?
Could this treatment affect my sex life? If so, how and for how long?
What are the risks and possible side effects of treatment?
