of course chemo regimens are often brutal (mine was, taking me to the brink of death from the chemo itself), but combos of chemo and/or radiation and/or surgery, as appropriate, have helped large numbers of patients in recent years....
one hopes that new approaches in research and testing will succeed in many cases with avoidance of the grueling effects of chemo-radiation-surgery, which are all frequently too broad-brush un-targeted approaches to treatment
e.g., the more severe chemo regimens can kill ALL fast-growing cells in the body and not just the ones involved in the cancer, which is why terrible side effects are too often associated with chemo
I’m glad you’re still alive FRiend!
come to think of it, the end of this month is my ninth anniversary since my last treatment (surgery) in Aug. 2002
most survivors mark progress from their date of diagnosis, but I like to mark it from the date of my last treatment — which was end of August 2002