Why chemo?

Chemotherapy is used to achieve an assortment of goals.

It can cure some cancers outright.

Induce long-term remissions in others

Decrease the likelihood of a recurrence or spread after surgery or radiation (adjuvant chemotherapy) in potentially curable cancers

Slow the growth and alleviate symptoms such as pain (palliation) in curable or recurrent cancers

Shrink large tumors to operable size

Make radiation more effective

"Buy" time in order to be able to followup with alternative or complimentary therapies

This information and list of goals are from page 70 of Nancy Bruning's book, "Coping with Chemotherapy".

Give up or fight like hell.

"If children have the ability to ignore all odds, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have 2 options, medically and emotionally: give up, or fight like hell."
Lance Armstrong