Worried about relative

Hi Everyone 

A relative of mine aged 84 had an operation to remove an obstruction from their bowel 2 months ago. The surgery went well however the obstruction was cancerous and there are spots of cancer in 2 other areas (one of these the nodes in the stomach/stomach lining)

The onconologist said after weighing up everything no treatment would be offered. My relative lost a lot of weight after the surgery but generally is doing ok.

Can anybody offer any advice if this sounds like a familiar story to theirs and would they know how long my relative will survive with no treatment?

Will they decline rapidly or gradually?

So many questions at this devastating time. Just so worried 

 

Thanks everyone 

 

  • Hi there,

    I'm sorry to hear about your relative. In my experience, I think that age works against someone when an oncologist decides to do treatment or not. My mum's cancer returned last January and other than being offered some palliative chemo (which she was unable to complete) there wasn't anything else offered, even though an MRI scan in the March showed only slight disease in her abdomen. After her having a couple of falls during chemo, the oncologist refused her to have any more, even though both her and me kept fighting for it. I really feel that her age being 76 was a high factor in this decision. My mum is now in her last days of the disease, so I'd say she declined gradually.

    Through reading other posts on here, I really feel that possibly due to Covid as well, cancer treatment has suffered greatly.

    Is this a new cancer your relative has or a recurrence?

    Take care,

    Hayley

  • My dad has bowel cancer. They have said that he is too weak for chemo. The tumour has not spread from the bowel. He went into hospital just under three weeks ago with pure exhaustion, while in there this is when the consultant told us no chemo would be offered as he was too weak and that he had weeks to live. When he came out he was very perky, eating and drinking lots, this was the same for the past two weeks but on Wednesday we noticed a difference, he was more tired, wanting to sleep more, his appetite has reduced.