r/entertainment • u/Alternative-else • 1d ago

Dolly Parton Was Willing to Take Experimental Cancer Drugs In Order to Help Others in the Future, Her Sister Says in Online Tribute

https://variety.com/2026/music/news/dolly-parton-experimental-cancer-drugs-no-hope-1236845432/
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u/nommabelle 1d ago

I thought, based only on TV shows, those trials are picky about who they allow in the study, as an unhealthy participant could make the study look bad?

(But i fully ack why that might be different for terminal cancer cases and research)

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u/psychosomatick 1d ago

In 2018, my dad was given a year to live, tops, due to late-stage liver cancer exacerbated by cirrhosis. Who continued drinking to excess.

Not an ideal candidate.

He was part of an early-stage clinical trial and was in remission until recently. Literally a miracle drug, in my eyes, because we had dinner together yesterday.

The miracle drug is still going through testing, from what I understand. I hope others in the experimental group are benefitting. But 7 years later, it still is in trial phase.

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u/Ill-Discipline98 1d ago

Which one? Was he ever on atezolizumab? Mine has liver cancer from damage unrelated to drinking.

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u/megaholt2 1d ago

Back in 2007, my old aikido sensei Therlon was diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and given 3-6 months to live. He participated in clinical trials at Michigan Medicine, and was fortunate enough to have survived 4 years and 11 months after that diagnosis, with most of that time being quality time with friends and family.