Chemo or not Chemo, that is the question?

This week we have been going through the decision to commit to chemotherapy, or not. We have been assessing the side effects, risks and benefits. Our recent NED result certainly shows we are on the right track and that I am responding to treatment, but it doesn't mean that the cancer is gone and I still have a high risk of tumour regrowth or metastasis spread. This is a long term journey and we need at least a couple of years of good results before the prognosis significantly shifts for the positive.

Unlike other cancers chemotherapy isn't particularly effective on sarcomas and the % improvement on my prognosis isn't great, but marginally good enough. Our aim is to eradicate the cancer from my body and the timing is right to use this treatment to assist with this. How it works is that they use drugs that destroy rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells, immunity, hair cells etc. The chemo drugs don't differentiate between the good and bad cells, so as a result side effects. Unlike the surgery and radiotherapy which are localised to the area of the tumour, chemo is systemic and treats and affects the whole body. More info about chemo here.

So based on all the information we have decided to commit to the treatment and my regime starts 10 January. It will involve 6 treatment over 18 weeks. I will be admitted to hospital for 3 days for each of the treatments and after 3 weeks and some recovery we repeat the cycle. The side effect are on the moderate to bad side of the spectrum, compared to other cancer chemo treatments.

The easy answer would have been not to go with the treatment, it will be pretty unpleasant. But for me probably the biggest factor in making the decision was the hypothetical question if in the future the cancer had returned and I asked myself if have I done everything possible to conquer this cancer and save my own life; what would I say.