is it true Radiation and Chemotherapy can kill you

helenelv1944

is it true Radiation and Chemotherapy can kill you

helenelv1944

i have breast cancer grade 3 stage 1 her2 and i am reading online that Radiation and Chemotherapy help to kill you then cure or better you, is this true 

juneping

i don't think they'll kill you. but they could give you some side effects and everyone reacts differently to those treatments. 

i did read very few times that some posters here had some serious damage to their body/organs.

pipers_dream

Helen, I'm not sure what you're reading, but there is some crazy stuff out there--sensationalist type stuff that makes holistic practitioners look like nutjobs.  Here is a link about chemo that you may find reassuring, but research all of your options and look for sites that aren't so scary.  Rate of treatment related deaths with chemo in breast cancer Cancer is scary enough as it is.  A good alternative site that you may like to read thru is this:  Breast Cancer Choices  I'm not defending chemo at all--in fact I'm opting out, but want to help keep things in perspective.  

ziggypop

Hi Helen, 

Very sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed with this. 

Both Chemo and radiation do wreak havoc on your body. Chemo targets and kills fast growing cells (cancer cells are generally fast growing - but so are other cells in your body like hair cells). Radiation is much better than it used to be & better targeted but it is still radiation. On the other hand both are effective (and have been proven effective) at lessening the death rates caused by cancer (and no - they do not kill people at higher rates than cancer does - that's the kind of bs claim made by people who have no verifiable evidence to support whatever they are peddling). Has your oncologist yet told you what he or she recommends in your instance?

Kicks

Cancer left untreated WILL kill you!

Chemo and rads do take their toll on our bodies but as far as I'm concerned - I'll take my chances on the good that they do.  Without having done both, there is no way that I would not be alive today. Is It possible to have life threatening SE from either/both - yes. There can be underlying conditions that contribute.  We are each unique and the benefits of TX for the vast majority far outweigh the other option - doing nothing andjust giving up as far as I'm concerned.  Remember - even an asprin or penicillin can kill someone who is allergic to it.  (Years ago, one of my employees did die from penicillin.)

Be very careful of a lot you find on 'Dr Google'.  There is some very good info that can be found BUT there is also a lot of JUNK being 'spewed out' there also.

mdg

I had chemo three years ago and I am not dead yet.....Yes chemo can be harsh in many ways on the body but cancer does kill you so given my options I went with chemo.  I feel fine.