I saw my oncologist today

Has your oncologist discussed the likelihood of relapse without chemo, and the consequences of relapse?  And are they recommending that you have the chemo?

Chemo is often used when there's no detectable cancer - I had no detectable cancer cells after my first cycle of chemo, but would have been extremely likely to relapse without more chemo.  Because of this, I've had lots of chemo while in remission.  I'm planning on getting maintenance chemo until 2014: I probably no longer have cancer, but the risk of relapse (which would leave me with a lousy outlook) is high enough that it's worth the extra treatment to improve my chances.

You could ring Macmillan to talk through some of your questions.  If you're unsure whether what your oncologist is recommending is right for you then you're also entitled to seek a second opinion: to see whether another consultant would agree with their recommendation.

Thanks for your prompt comment/reply.  What stage cancer were you.  I was stage 3 and (3A) T3 whatever it means.

He recommends I try a clinical trial whereby he feeds the computer with my details and the computer decides if I am suitable candidate for 3 months of chemo. rather than 6 months.  I just don't want to loose my hair.  Oncologist also said there is a risk of angina, sickness, tiredness, nerve damage and many more side effects.  Is it worth going through all this for the sake of 20% extra chance.

Chemotherapy increases the chance of cancer not coming back by only 20%.  I am at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.

How can I possibly ask for a second opinion and whom?

You can ask your consultant or GP to refer you for a second opinion; you have a right to do this, but it's not something they should object to anyway.  The opinion will be from another consultant; it might be useful if you find an appropriately located specialist in your type of cancer and ask for a referral to them.

I had leukaemia, so not staged in the same way.  I didn't have much option aside from having chemo - there's no operation to remove leukaemia, and without treatment I almost certainly wouldn't be here now.

Side effects of chemo can be rubbish.  I didn't find hair loss much of an issue - in my case, it was a period of having no hair which will hopefully give me a good few decades of relatively healthy life.  You may manage better with hair loss than you're expecting?  Or, depending on the type of cancer, a cold cap may help?

In terms of other side effects, can those treating you tell you how likely they are and how severe they're likely to be?  I'm currently receiving treatment which can have all the side effects you mention (aside from hairloss and angina), but am at work full-time, using the gym and generally living a pretty 'normal' life.  Chemo can certainly leave people less well - I wasn't able to do so much when I had more intensive chemo - but it's worth getting a clear sense of how bad the side effects of chemo are likely to be before making a decision.  There are also treatments which can support you through chemo - for example, anti-nausea drugs are pretty good nowadays.