In a nutshell, yes.

Although there are side effects to radiation therapy and chemotherapy, the benefits of it far outweigh the damages done if you don't undergo such treatments. While people have argued that both radiation and chemotherapy both kill healthy cells, the damages to tumour cells are far greater than healthy cells due to the nature of cancer cells.

Rapidly dividing cells like cancer cells for instance are far more likely to be affected by radiation than other parts of the body. Given than there is always a period of time in-between treatments where the body rests enough for the healthy tissues to regrow, the cancer cells in the surrounding area shrinks because it cannot regrow fast enough. This is also true for chemotherapy but affecting the whole body rather than just in a localized area.

But hey, in retrospect you could think of yourself as a lone soldier taking down all the bad guys with you.

This year Footsteps in the Mirror will be blogging to raise money for the Association for International Cancer Research which is a non-profit organisation that helps fund cancer research throughout the world. If you're willing to help, you can sign up on the Blogathon website and pledge your amount right here. Help make a difference, no matter how small it may be.