In Reply to: overview of malignant fibrous histiocytoma link posted by joe on June 28, 2008 at 10:12:25:
The role of chemotherapy in the treatment of MFH is not entirely clear. Several clinical trials incorporating the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin have shown trends in improved event-free survival without a major impact on overall survival. The results of a large meta-analysis which included almost 1,600 soft tissue sarcoma patients concluded that the addition of chemotherapy improved overall survival by less than 10% (Ref. 2). Results were better in patients with extremity tumors than in patients with axial or retroperitoneal tumors. More recently, clinical trials incorporating ifosfamide and doxorubicin have demonstrated an improvement in disease-free survival (Refs. 26 and 36). One of the major limitations of chemotherapy is the associated toxicities with the doses necessary to have a significant impact on disease-specific survival. The addition of supportive drugs such as hematopoietic growth factors has allowed for higher doses and trends in improved survival are being observed.
And, please read the following as well:
Unfortunately, the interpretation of these and other chemotherapy trials results has varied so much that it has become difficult for patients to decipher the information in order to make decisions regarding chemotherapy as part of their treatment.
Nobody has really said that it's a must, nobody has discussed it, all doctors are just saying you have to do it. Damn professionals, perhaps. I have always thought that it's a problem of the mind, or some psychological, or spiritual problem, and thus that the proof lies therein as well.