Chemo treatment is a fine balancing act. Their aim is to treat people, whether it's for curative reasons or to improve quality of life during palliative care. It's aim is to benefit the patient, not to make the patient suffer or even kill the patient. You have to meet a certain health criteria to receive chemo and if you don't, the risks heavily outweigh the benefits.

About the tooth infection, chemo lowers your immune system and what we as healthy individuals can shrug off, can quickly turn nasty and life threatening to someone on chemo. Even simple tooth removal for someone that is heavily immunocompromised is risky.

They're needing to let her bloods return to normal, then remove/root canal the tooth. I suspect it will be removal. In the meantime, that tooth needs heavily monitored in case the infection spreads.

They have given her antibiotics for the infection which they will keep a close eye on but what worries me is the fluid that has come back very quickly. Is this normal?

Hello and thanks for posting

I'm sorry to read about your mum. It's understandable to feel worried about her chemotherapy being postponed again. Although chemotherapy works best when given regularly, sometimes a person just isn't well enough right now to have the next course of treatment.

Your mum having ascites ( build up of fluid in the abdomen) , a tooth infection and previous low blood counts are signs that she needs more time to recover before continuing treatment safely.

Doctors will always weigh the risks and benefits of patients having treatment. If chemotherapy is given when someone is too unwell, it can do more harm than good. Postponing treatment while treating an infection, and treating the ascites to stabilise your mum's condition gives her the best chance of continuing her treatment.

I hope this has been of some use. Give us a ring if you would to talk things over. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

Kind Regards,

Celene