How much radiation and chemotherapy can our body take?

One of my neighbours has an aunt with breast cancer. The cancer has relapsed and spread to her brain. The aunt is now totally immobilised and is warded in Dover Park Hospice.

I shared with her LY's story of how she became gradually immobilised after completing her prescribed 12 doses of whole brain radiation therapy, delivered every single day for 12 days with the exception of Saturdays and Sundays. Each dose lasted 15 minutes. With each subsequent dose, she was getting weaker. LY had multiple lesions in her head which was why she required whole brain radiation therapy.

Radiation surgery is for one or two lesions in the brain and is more targeted.

When my neighbour heard that, she said that her aunt's condition is exactly the same as LY's, meaning that she became totally immobilised after completing her whole brain radiation therapy. My neighbour's mum, the patient's sister, and the maid could not cope and they had to send her to Dover Park Hospice.

I wonder if it was necessary to administer such a heavy dosage and in so many doses. What is the survival rate of patients who had received similar treatments? How well did they fare and how long did they live? Unfortunately, we will never know as no statistics has been released. The only two I know of - one is gone and the other is bedridden, and I don't know how long more she can last.

I had a long chat with WC on 21 Feb, Sunday. She is a nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) patient. Like me, she is anti-conventional and very pro alternative and natural. She was prescribed 6 doses of chemo, but she stopped at 3 and her condition is under control and she is doing fine.

WC and I strongly believe that too many doses of chemo and receiving chemo again with each relapse would be too damaging to our body, and it would be harder for our body to fight back and recover.

A friend, KK, was diagnosed with colon cancer more than 10 years ago. She reacted badly to her first dose of chemo that the oncologist discontinued with her chemotherapy. She had had radiation therapy, but I am not sure if she had surgery. It has been more than 10 years since and she is doing fine. Her case could be genetic as her sister, mum and mum's sister all died from colon cancer at around the age of 40.

I received 5 out of 6 doses of chemo and the ayurvedic master is still struggling with the repair of my liver and kidneys, and it is already nearly 2 years after my last dose of chemo.

I know of a couple of other cases who did not complete their recommended number of doses and who are doing fine with alternative therapies.

If I am not mistaken, the several members that TRC lost in the last few months had had chemo with each relapse. Of course, there could be other factors involved, as I do not have the facts and details. And again, we have no access to statistics.

All I know is that our body comprised of flesh and blood. Chemotherapy is chemical therapy. Chemicals that are usually poisonous and harmful to us. What happens when we apply poisonous chemicals to flesh and blood? Chemo is administered by iv into our blood vessels. They then passed through our whole body, through our organs causing damage, sometimes irreparable, especially to the liver and kidneys.

If given a choice WC and I would prefer not to go for chemo again should we get a relapse, and would rather depend on natural alternatives. We will see how it goes.