[MJo]

One of my biggest fears about chemo was allergic reaction, since I'm allergic to penicillan (had anaphalaxis) and I've been an asthmatic since childhood. I was especially afraid of Herceptin, and had myself tested for allergy to mice, since mouse embryo was used to line the dish where herceptin culture was grown (don't know if they still create herceptin that way). Also afraid of Taxol, because it's derived from ewe tree. Happy to say that allergies were not a problem for me.

I went to a lecture by a respected oncologist and he said he treats agressively when someone is first diagnosed because you have a chance for a cure. If cancer recurs, it's chronic Stage IV.

By the way, I absolutely believe that we will be able to cure Stage IV in the future. I believe that some stage IV cancer is being cured now. But it's not the norm yet. So I hope your wife will be as aggressive as possible.