Jennifer Ficko: Thriving Thanks to a Melanoma Clinical Trial

Jennifer Ficko was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma in 2010 at the age of 48. The next 7 years were an ongoing battle that tested her in ways she would have never expected. Thanks to research-driven breakthroughs in cancer science and medicine, Jennifer was able to participate in a clinical trial evaluating an immunotherapeutic that used her own immune cells against her cancer. She responded positively to the treatment. “And now, almost 15 years later, I am 7 years cancer free,” Jennifer said.

Jennifer’s journey with cancer began with a seemingly harmless tumor on the side of her head. She remembers having it for years, but every doctor she saw dismissed it as nothing serious. It was not until she mentioned it to her trusted ear, nose, and throat specialist that things took a turn. He recommended removing the tumor, as it had started to itch, but neither he nor Jennifer expected the diagnosis that followed. “Two days before Thanksgiving, he called me to say that I had melanoma.”

The shock of the diagnosis was compounded by the fact that her 16-year-old son overheard the conversation. Jennifer and her husband, stunned and scared, turned to the Internet to understand what melanoma really meant. What they found was bleak. Her local doctors in Fairfield, Connecticut offered no hope, essentially telling Jennifer that her time was limited.

Thanks to her job at a large company with extensive medical connections, Jennifer was referred to specialists at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The team there referred her to Smilow Cancer Hospital, where she could receive the same treatments closer to home. “I had surgery a couple days before Christmas,” she said. The surgeon took out the tumor and several lymph nodes, which revealed that the cancer had spread.

Jennifer enrolled in a clinical study that was evaluating the immune checkpoint inhibitor ipilimumab (Yervoy), a novel treatment at the time. Unfortunately, Jennifer did not respond to the treatment, and went on to receive a combination of ipilimumab with another checkpoint inhibitor, nivolumab (Opdivo). While she had an intermittent response with the combination, Jennifer experienced numerous severe side effects including a detached retina, hearing loss, hypothyroidism, and others. But Jennifer pushed through.

The turning point came in 2017. Running out of options, Jennifer took the recommendation from her oncologist, Dr. Harriet Kluger, to participate in a clinical trial at Yale Cancer Center. The trial was evaluating a novel immunotherapy known as tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy. The researchers isolated immune cells known as T cells from her tumor, grew them in numbers, and infused them back in her body. The treatment was brutal. Jennifer’s body responded with a severe reaction. “My throat closed. I couldn’t breathe. My poor husband who came in the middle of this must have thought I was dying,” Jennifer said.

But it was also a sign that the treatment was working. “The tumor swelled because all those immune cells were getting stimulated and invading her tumor,” said Dr. Kluger. Shortly after, the tumors began to shrink, and slowly, Jennifer began to recover.

The road to recovery was long and exhausting. For months, she lay on the couch, barely able to move, her husband by her side, force-feeding her to keep her strength up. But with time, Jennifer regained her strength, and continued to be cancer free.

Now at 61, Jennifer reflects on the journey that brought her to where she is today. Despite the lingering side effects, and the daily medication she must take, she considers herself lucky. She has had the chance to watch her children grow into successful adults, both pursuing careers in medicine, perhaps inspired by their mother’s battle.

Jennifer talks about the power of resilience and the importance of keeping a positive attitude. Even in the darkest moments, she refused to let cancer define her. She saw it as an inconvenience, something she had to get through, and with the support of her family, she did. Her message is clear: Cancer is tough, but with the right attitude, support from friends and family, and the advances in medical research, it does not have to be a death sentence.

As she continues to live her life, Jennifer remains grateful for the opportunities she has had and the life she continues to live. Her story is a testament to the vital importance of medical research. “I was lucky. Not everybody is so lucky,” she said. “Many cancers are on the rise. We need research so that we can find cures, or perhaps prevent [cancers] from occurring in the first place. This can only be accomplished through funding for cancer research. We must have congressional support; otherwise we’ll never find a cure.”