That's a difficult choice you have to make with your doctors and family. My mother chose to go through it and has lived cancer free for over 10 years. I know other people who've been through it, and when cancer reappeared, they opted not to go through it again.

well i dont think a person would remember if they die

Only you or the patient can decide that. I refuse to take chemo if I get cancer. I would rather spend my last days enjoying them not vomiting and sick like chemo makes you.

Everyone is different - it would mean hope and a possible cure to me. The hair loss wouldn't make any difference but the other side effects would be tough. There is medication for the nausea.

I personally wouldn't do it.

AB's own RosieG recently went through a session of chemotherapy. She has emerged from it in fine health and seems to have no regrets about it. However, her experience may be atypical. You may have to try it and decide for yourself whether the cost is worth the potential benefit. Good luck.

Can't you have radiation instead? It's not as bad I hear. My mom felt the same way... She died.

Yet this was REQUIRED by a judge who thought HE knew better than a child's own parents. Never mind the many alternative therapies out there, this gov't flunkey decided unilaterally that HE was right, and so able to usurp the lawful wishes of the parents. SHAMEFUL. WHO told you the lie that poisons were your ONLY chance to survive? USE THE INTERNET. There is information out there. And knowledge is LIFE. Learn about Royal Rife and Don Croft and the many alternative treatments available to those with open eyes.

Hell yes it is,15 years later and I'm still here. Be dead without it!

I think I would go thru it if I had cancer. I would cut my hair off and give it to Locks of Love. I hope I never ever have to face it. And I sure hope no one on AB ever has to face it either.

Hi I just thought that I would add my thoughts to your question. Firstly I will say that you have a very valid point. I work as a consultant clinical neurologist and almost daily, I sit and have this conversation with many people. Patients are reffered to me by GP's, who in most cases, this comes along after they have been diagnosed as having a brain tumor. I do agree with what you say about the side effects but I would just like to mention the simple fact that "If you don't have it done, what are your chances of living?" It is a very hard thing to try and think about indeed, within the cold light of day. I would say one thing "If it saves the life of just one person then it's worth it!" If I were to say to you that "Tomorrow morning at six o'clock you will be taken outside, tied up and then you will be shot!" If I were to then say "why not try Chemotherapy!" it may be able to save your life? I wonder what your answer may be? Many years ago the diagnosis of cancer was a certain killer but these days as medical knowledge increases we have ways of a possible cure. Chemo can and does indeed save lives, many of them.

I think I would rather ask God to heal me. He loves me, right?

A friend of mine just went through chemo and reported that it was much better than chemo had been even a few years ago. There was only one treatment per week for 4 weeks, and they gave a number of medicines to control the nausea and side effects. Yes she lost her hair and got a wig until it grows back, and during the chemo she had a metallic taste that made food unappealing, but no other big complaints. There was no trace of the cancer afterward. Was it worth a month's discomfort to save her life? Absolutely!

If the chances of chemo working is high - then I say yes. If the prognoses is poor, no. Chemo sucks the life right out of you - and if there's little "payoff" for doing it then I would avoid it. Really so many people who have had it have said to me that they would never go through it again, and Chemo side affects definitely shortened the lives of two dear friends of mine who had somewhat grim chances of improvement in the first place. Do your research - and play the odds, but don't let the quacks sell you a million to one shot through chemo - it kills more than it cures.

I think this really depends on you and the support you will receive from family and friends. One of my neighbor's just died from cancer. He was fighting cancer (he had several types) for years... and about six years ago he had a voicebox put in, so he could *try* to still communication with others. It was very hard on him, and in the end it was a long road of suffering and pain for him and everyone close to him. However, there are many success stories too. One where a friend caught her breast cancer in the early stages and had to go through minimal radiation. Another one where a tumor was successful removed from another friend's brain; however, they now think that they have found a cancerous spot on his lung, and he is no long the same as he was since his previous brain surgery. So again, it really is up to you, if it will be worth it in the end, and if you will have more than enough support to get you through it. It can be a tough and long road to face alone.

Some people have very little side effects from Chemo, mainly being tired which varies in duration as the treatments continue. Watched both of my parents with this treatment - neither became sick (not even an upset stomache), neither lost their hair. Mom did have some sunburn appearance on her skin from her radiation treatment.... Both of my parents are cancer survivors now. All and all, it's worth it. Remember, the Drs will tell you the absolute worst situation, protecting themselves legally, and making them look like heroes if you do better than diagnosed. Good luck and good health!

If there is a chance of survival, wouldn't you take it?!?!!? I know someone very very close to me that has gone thru this. She survived it!! She had BRCA2!! She went thru chemo, radiation, removal of both breasts. Yes, the radiation does make you feel like you want to vomit sometimes. She had to have 3 types of meds Intavenously 5 days a week!! She is very much alive today!! So if you want to live, then I say YES do it..

Yes it is. Its important though to have a good support system around you.

I would hope you think you are worth a try saving.

The most important information on your cancer is not included in your question. Please allow me to explain: The first things that must be done by an oncologist in a thorough check up, several lab tests and cancer staging, as many biopsies as required, is there any cancer spreading or metastasis, lots of patience and faith on your side and strong will to survive your cancer. You need to make up your mind that you will fight it and survive, don't allow depression to sink in. With the above information you will require to research your cancer in the Internet. Get solid and guaranteed information. I don't know what type of cancer you have, but whatever it is the staging is absolutely important. Not all cancers have the same amount of stages but for this example lets suppose your cancer has 6 stages and you do not have a metastasis meaning your cancer has not spread to other organs. Ask your doctor what your chances are to survive free of cancer. Then it will be time for your own personal research. If you are at 50% of the stages [3]or less and no metastasis is present you will most probably have 90/95% chances of living cancer free after treatment. If I was in your shoes I would go through treatment in order to survive, I will later explain about the treatment options. If you are at 70% of the stages [4+] and a metastasis is present ask your doctor what other organs have been compromised. The usual ones are those closest to the cancer taken area of your body. Again,if I was in your shoes I would ask for a second opinion from another oncologist, one doctor can make a mistake but two doctors making the same mistake is extremely difficult to say the least. It is always best to speak in simple terms in order to get your facts strait. Let's say you are in stage 3 out of six and no metastasis is present. Certain cancers require aggressive chemotherapy as support for an external radiation therapy. If your doctor says you will be given 28 sessions of external radiation on a daily basis and 28 sessions of chemotherapy once a week + another therapy to clean your body of the toxics in the chemotherapy that would be a reasonable amount of both treatments which does not mean you will be permanently sick, nauseous and vomiting. If the chemotherapy is red in color ask your doctor if it will make you sick, but remember that much will depend on your mind set, your optimism and your will to live. Red chemotherapy does not make you feel great or so so, it can make you sick if you are thinking it will make you vomit and whatever other symptoms you have information on. They usually put you to sleep during each chemo session this to avoid you from getting obsessed with vomiting or others. The first chemo sessions make you loose energy if you don't have a good special diet taking away all foods that will upset your stomach and liver and must drink very much liquid but not coffee, tea or alcohol, dehydration is a bad enemy. In the chemo and the second therapy in a week they usually include stomach protection agents, those to avoid you from being nauseous, some medicine to put you to sleep and several other protection agents. This takes care of the chemo symptoms please take it for granted and don't forget it is very important you are willing to fight your cancer. After your chemo sessions you will possibly receive your external radiation therapy, you will not be burned or anything of the sort. Around the 15th session you may experience some leg pains and diarrhea or similar,but let your doctor know immediately so he can provide Motilum or similar to avoid the diarrhea as it can dehydrate you and make you very sick if you let it happen, it depends on you and become a pain in the doctor's neck if necessary, who cares but you must be fine and feeling just as good as possible. If you are not given any other therapy you should be over in 28 weeks and then depending on your check ups and analysis your doctor will tell you what else he is planning to attack your cancer and if you have reached a remission point, meaning your cancer is giving in. If you do get the red chemo you will loose your hair, but don't wait for it to happen. Get your hair cut very short or shave your head, one thing is for it to fall out and another is for you to have it removed. It will grow back normally. If you have a metastasis meaning one or more organs have been contaminated by the cancer, ask your doctor what you can expect from chemo, radiotherapy or others he may have suggested. If he says your chances to survive the cancer are lower than 75%, again if I was in your shoes I would not have any treatment but the absolute necessary to improve my life quality and live as long as I can without pain and sufferings. Please understand that doctors are not magicians you have to help, get yourself together and fight back, like a tiger, this is an invisible thieve who is around to rob you of your greatest possession which is your life. I hope this information has helped a little bit, if you decide to go through treatment you can find excellent support groups, also understand we are humans and we need to get out emotions out of our chest no matter how hard we are willing to fight for our lives. For your information I am a physician and a genetic cancer researcher. Good luck and God bless you. Regards.

i hav been through it is i wont lie horrible and the doc said i had reacted REALLY badly 2 one of the drugs but 7 years down the line its made me a totally diffo person 4 the better

I have had several chemotherapies(R-Chop,Beam,GDP,DHAP,Zevalin) and radiation. I use morphine daily. It is definitely worth it. I have bought some more precious time to spend with my family. Don't let the preconceptions scare you. There are many excellent drugs available today that help with the side effects. Chemo is definitely more tolerable now than it was several years ago. Good luck!!