I was lecturing at a cancer conference earlier. One of the speakers with me was Kian Ang the head of radiation oncology at MDACC and my doctor when I went through there 10 years ago. I had 72 grays of radiation... they don't give you any more than that. I've had a bunch of side effects I won't list them all there right now, but they are the usual things that everyone here complains about. I also know that around year ten people that have had my dose of radiation can develop osteosarcomas in their mandibles (about 3% of all patients). an was whining to him about some of my issues from all my grays, and he said to me; "Brian, is sit lost on your that you have to be alive to have the complications that you are having...."

I think that puts it in perspective. Nothing in treatment is without risk. And today the bulk of patients go through with far less radiation than I. If you are not going to do things because of what might happen, you might as well stay off of the freeways too. I know that sounds harsh, but you have to (like I did not) keep all this in perspective. Incomplete primary treatments I believe, are a high cause of recurrences, which once they happen, you may not get out of easily, regardless the tools the medical profession has in it's bag.