thanks for your response, Joe.
As per my original post, my family and I all think that JH is fantastic, and we're very fortunate to be able to get treatment there. Dr. Brem and his staff are stellar, and while it is a giant institution, they really excel at caring for patients and their families (not just treating disease).
I hear you on being conservative w/using medications. On some level, the principles of chemo are kind of crazy. I tend to be risk-averse (and skeptical about the medical institutions) myself and it's very hard to decide what I think the best plan is to advocate for... then of course, it's ultimately up to my brother to decide. I'm all for aggressive treatment, but, then again, it's not my body that this stuff is going into... and pushing for aggressive treatment makes everyone more anxious... which is not good for anyone. I suppose ultimately you have to just keep your eye on the prize and hope to beat these crappy odds. All the best to you and your family.