Hello A and thank you for your post,

I am sorry to learn of your brother's situation this must be difficult especially when you are not in the UK yourself.

Everybody's cancer treatment is planned individually depending on their situation and the doctors will weigh if the benefit of treatment is outweighed by the potential side effects. It sounds like your brother's situation is a bit more complicated because of the recent heart surgery. 

When people are given a choice of treatment there is no right or wrong answer and people make different choices for different reasons, the decision will be the right one for that person at that time.

If your brother is finding it difficult to make a decision, he could speak with his nurse specialist (CNS) for advice (if he has one). He would also be welcome to speak with one of our nurses on the helpline, although we are not involved in his medical care we would be happy to talk things through with him. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

I am unsure in the UK where your brother is living, but it might be worth seeing if there is a Maggie's Centre near his hospital, where he could drop in and speak to somebody for advice and support. 

It sounds simple but it can be helpful to write a list of advantages and disadvantages of the treatments he has been offered. Macmillan Cancer Support also has some helpful tips for making treatment decisions.

I hope this helps a little, please feel free to contact us again for any further information or support.

Take care,

Jemma