79 year old mum and breast cancer

[Twizzled]

My 79 year old mum, pretty active and seems healthy has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

She is to get a lumpectomy and radiotherapy.

There is a part of me that feels that this will be too much,your body can only take so much.

Can anyone share a similar experience?

My elderly neighbour has just gone through this. The treatment has exhausted her, especially the radiotherapy but she has survived and is thriving (83)

So sorry to hear this. What does your mum think? For some people it would be too much, but that's not true for everyone.

So sorry to hear this Twizzled. I know several elderly women who have survived or are living with breast cancer, having been diagnosed when they are well into old age.

In some cases, cancer progresses very slowly in older people. In many ways it is not as devastating as it can be for a younger person.

I hope your Mum has many happy years to come x

Nextphone is right- breast cancer is often much more slow growing in the elderly. My grandmother was diagnosed at 90 and had some surgery followed by radiotherapy.
My mum used to take her to the radiotherapy appts and saw that yes, they really leave you exhausted and wiped out.
But when the course of appts was finished she was actually fine. And the cancer (although it had been there for some time, as grandma hadn't wanted to bother anyone with it) was gone and didn't come back.

My mum went through experimental chemotherapy for her age group (76) and it caused a massive stroke. She died three months later. Just read up on possible side effects and make sure you are all informed of side affects and risks.

Thanks everyone for leaving comment and for well wishes. Finfinitytint, that is so very sad, that must have been very hard on you and the family 💕

I think I fear a side affect such as heart attack, it was good to read some positive posts also. I suppose take each day as it comes and be there for when mum needs me.

My mum is going ahead and I suspect doesn’t think age is a problem. She often tells me she is fitter than me (and I work-out intensely at least four times a week!) so I sometimes think she is denial that she is one year from being 80 :)

@Twizzled , sorry your mum is going through this. I had bi-lateral cancer in my 60's and found the radiotherapy very hard. I suffered massive burns that took weeks to heal. I think it was the hardest part of my treatment. The nurses were marvellous though, giving me gel dressings and silver cream that really helped. I also had oramorph.
I've been cancer free for three years now, I wish your mum the very best of luck with her treatment

That sounds like a horrific experience, I am glad however that you are writing this - 3 years later. Thanks for sharing x

My DM had similar aged 80 - although she had a full mastectomy followed by radiotherapy. She coped extremely well despite having other health issues (heart, thyroid).

Unfortunately the cancer returned several years later and got into her bones. She continued to live with the cancer (had been told by one of her doctors that, given her age, she would likely die with cancer than of cancer.)

Although it did get slowly worse she was on treatment for it and in the end actually did die of an unrelated condition aged almost 90.