My case is pure breast cancer, in early stage I, the operation result is: all negative but the center of the lump. the lump is 1.5*1.0cm. Before the chemotherapy of the first time, under the molybdenum photo, is 2*3cm. My doctor told me that the chemotherapy is very effective. But now she said: if not take the left 3 times of chemotherapy, I should be responsible for the in case recrudesce years lator on myself, which is bad word for me.

What should I do? On my own point of view, I consider the side effect could me more serious to me, but what if I take the "left three times of chemotherapy"? Could you kindly give me some fact or number of probabilities of the different situation?

-If you only do half the chemotherapy you will get much less than half the benefit, as there are likely to be cancer cells around which were dormant during the chemo and which will soon wake up and kill you. The main purpose of the chemo is not the shrinking of the tumour before surgery, that is secondary, it is to destroy the free cancer cells floating around in your blood and settling in various organs around your body.

I don't know percentages for doing partial chemo but I would guess your survival chances would be less than half what they would be with full chemo, with a 3cm tumour perhaps 30%, to pull a figure out of the air as opposed to perhaps 70% with full chemo. I am not a doctor and I am guessing.

If the side effects are really unbearable then talk to your oncologist about what can be done to alleviate them, but don't give up on the chemo, we are talking about life and death here. What sort of side effects are you suffering? If it is a matter nausea and vomiting, what sort of anti-nausea medications are you getting?

The side effects of radiation are pretty minor, usually nothing worse than sunburn and a bit of tiredness. The main "side effect" most people have with radiation is the inconvenience of several trips to the hospital when it is far away.

As to protein powder, it is only helpful if you are not getting enough protein in your diet, which is a risk if you are a vegetarian. I don't think it will have much effect on the cancer or the chemotherapy either way. But as a general rule, ask your oncologist before taking any supplements or 'natural' remedies during chemotherapy.