Motown pioneer Mary Wells, battling inoperable lung and larynx cancer, is taking part in a nationwide clinical trial of Edatrexate, an experimental chemotherapy drug not yet available commercially. The rhythm-and-blues singer (”My Guy”) had her first intravenous dose July 9, and is expected to receive weekly doses as a day-patient at a Los Angeles hospital for as long as the drug appears to keep the cancer from growing. Joyce McRae, a trustee of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in Washington, D.C., says doctors link Wells` cancer to her former habit of smoking at least two packs of cigarettes a day, plus the second-hand smoke she inhaled while performing at clubs and concerts. Donations can be sent to Mary Wells Financial Assistance, in care of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, Room 4603, 14th and Constitution Avenues N.W., Washington, D.C. 20560.
