Hi There.
I don't know the anwser to your first question - about the smoking and clinical trial at Duke. My inclination would be to say that it would not impact whether or not they would accept her into a clinical trial, but I can't give you a definite answer on that. My husband is a smoker too, but he didn't enter a clinical trial because they thought Avastin / CPT-11 was the best way to go with him.
As to what happens at the appointments. The first day - today - she would have seen the physicians assistant first, who would take a history and perform an initial evaluation and examination. They would have asked her what treatment she has been on. They will have looked at the scans and formed an opinion of what to do next. Tomorrow, she will meet with a nurse who will discuss the treatment, all the side effects and answer questions. She'll also give your Mom a big fat binder full of information, and a blue tote bag from the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center. Next she will meet with a social worker to discuss any concerns she and the family might have such as the effect the treatment will have on the whole family, concerns about finances, caregiving, etc. Then possibly a child life specialist to discuss how and what to tell any young children in the family. Since we have two young grandchildren, the CLS spent some time talking about what they knew of Grandpap's condition and what to tell them in a way that was age-appropriate.
When might they begin treatment? Maybe as soon as tomorrow - it just depends on what they decide the best course of treatment is. Lots of people have gone to Duke and ended up having the first treatment - or in some cases surgery - before they go back home.
Hope this helps somewhat. Keep us posted.
Best of luck,
Barb