When Vinu was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she pursued every standard treatment option available. After the cancer returned four years later, she turned to a clinical trial at Holy Name—one that gave her something priceless: more time. Time to be present for life’s milestones, including watching her son, Sahaj, marry his high school sweetheart.
Vinu, now 54, was diagnosed with recurrent stage IIIC high-grade ovarian cancer in May 2017. With no family history of cancer and only mild stomach pain as a symptom, the diagnosis was a shock to the Bridgewater resident: “It shook the whole world for all three of us—myself, my husband and my son.”
Before starting chemotherapy, Vinu underwent major surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible. This included removing her uterus, ovaries, and a large portion of her colon. She breathed a sigh of relief that all of the cancer had been eradicated, but four years later, it was back. She restarted traditional cancer therapies, but the cancer was relentless.
“We were stuck. There were no other options. At that point, I’m living with the disease, and now it’s terminal,” Vinu explains.
Finding Hope at Holy Name
Her husband, Subhash, refused to give up hope. In 2023, he found a clinical study that could benefit Vinu, but it was only offered at one hospital in New Jersey: Holy Name Medical Center, an hour and a half away.
“I’d never heard of Holy Name before, but finding it was destiny,” she says. “When we visited that first time, I thought it was just another hospital visit, another appointment, another hard day, but Holy Name turned out to be something completely different. I’ve been to hospitals and doctors’ offices all over the state, and never have we seen a hospital like this one.”
There, Vinu and her family found compassion, patience, knowledge—and hope. She and Subhash met with Sharyn N. Lewin, MD, FACS, FACOG, director of the division of gynecologic oncology at Holy Name Medical Center.
“Dr. Lewin made me feel safe. She spoke gently, listened carefully, and explained things slowly and confidently,” Vinu explains.
Vinu joined the phase 2 PICCOLO trial, which tested a new targeted treatment called mirvetuximab soravtansine. The trial was designed to treat certain types of ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancers that had responded to platinum chemotherapy but later came back. The study found that this treatment was safe and showed promising results in shrinking tumors in patients with high levels of a protein receptor called folate receptor-alpha.
After the PICCOLO trial ended, Dr. Lewin continued to see Vinu over the next two years. Because Vinu’s cancer was advanced and she had already tried a variety of treatments, she wasn’t eligible for most of the clinical trials under investigation at that time, so her treatment focused on more traditional therapies.
“These treatments were available in every hospital, including ones much closer to our home, but we were very comfortable at Holy Name, and once you’re comfortable, you don’t try other places; you know you’re in good hands,” she says.
In June 2025, Dr. Lewin found a new trial and worked to get Vinu enrolled quickly. The phase 1 trial is evaluating an antibody drug conjugate for adults with recurrent gynecological cancers with high levels of folate receptor-alpha. However, the treatment was harsh on Vinu, often causing her to spike a fever. Some days she couldn’t get out of bed.
“It was not easy, but the clinical trial team got me in this trial, and I appreciate it,” she says. “It slowed down the disease for another six months. I feel like I’m giving back by participating, and it makes me happy that somebody else can use one of these drugs and extend their lives, too.”
Under Dr. Lewin’s guidance, Vinu started a new therapy in December. Since she can’t join another clinical trial and has exhausted all other options, she can gain early, temporary access to an investigational drug not yet approved by the FDA.
“Cancer is hard. It’s heavier than any words I can use to describe it,” Vinu explains. “But having a supportive husband and a good doctor makes my journey a little less painful. I’ve gotten more precious time, enough to see my son get married, and now I hope to see my grandchildren. We haven’t given up hope.”
For more information, visit holyname.org/ClinicalResearch.
