Diagnosis help?

Hi please help, My Mother was admitted to hospital last Friday with confusion & weight loss, sleeping, no appetite. She is an amputee and whilst in hospital has fallen and cracked her hip and has a bleed on her brain which they are saying should stop. She has had two scans and the doctors say she has some cancer in her brain which has come from somewhere else and she has a mass outside her colon, They say she is too weak to offer treatment to and requires palative care, I am still trying to speak to the Oncologist which will hopefully be in Monday, I want to know what benchmark they use for not treating her? I am not expecting miracles but don’t want her righting off just because she’s 76 and appears weak to the doctors, until she went in she was sprightly and full of life. She beat breast cancer in 1980.I don’t want her going through treatment unnecessarily and want whats best for her but would appreciate advice from people who have been in a similar situation or knows what our rights are for treatment or second opinion?

Many thanks 

  • Hello baz1234.  So sorry your mum has become so ill.  I cannot give you advice about a second opinion as I have  never been in this position so I looked up the NHS website which says while you have no legal right to a second opinion it would be unusual for a healthcare professional to refuse this request.   In fairness to them I imagine most doctors don't want to make a mistake so wouldn't object to it.   I can understand that you don't want your mum written off and because this has all happened so suddenly you don't want to be rushed into this decision.  When you speak to the oncologist on Monday I would suggest that you take with you a list of the questions for which you would like an answer and write down the answers.  I don't think you are saying the doctors are necessarily wrong; you just want to be clear about the facts and sure that this would be the best thing.  If you google "NHS right to a second opinion"  you will find the relevant information.

    I hope you will get some more information here from people who may have been in a similar situation.  Best wishes.

  • Thank you Annieliz. You understand where i’m coming from, I just need to know why the doctors think their correct to not offer treatment. I have my list ready!