My point is simply that chemo has been proven effective in most cases. There have been many trials and formal testing and documentation that that identify this.. There have been no formal reviews that point to the effectiveness of alternatives. The may be individual positive results utilizing alternatives. If there are, I would appreciate reports on such data. I am going with the odds here. It would be best if individuals who are selecting alternatives to run a paralell program of CTand PET scans along with monitoring CEA levels. My radiation Doctor identified what I had called a reocurence initialy as a surgical "mistake" My tumor was a lymph node that should have been taken out during my first surgery. Instead of only taking out 3 nodes they should have taken out 10 to 13. I received 6 months of Xeloda and should have opted for FOLFOX, etc., a stronger chemo regimen, It would have been more effective. CT scans and PET scans, if controlled properly and utilized only when necessary, will have not a long range negative effect. In any event, utilization of chemos, radiation and scan follow up has worked for me and many others.