Hi My 84 year old Aunt was diagnosed with an oral melanoma today. THe Consultant said that although extensive he did not feel that it was advanced because it wasn't very thick.

He is proposing operating and removing part of her top pallette, a section of her jaw and all the molars on one side of her face.

Since she is 84 and in poor health, has leaking heart valves, angina nad lung disease she was concerned about such radical surgery and whether she would benefit from it or whether she would be better to let the doisease take its natural progression.

She asked how successful surgery was likely to be, what the Surgeons definition of success was and if she agreed to surgery what she could expect post operation in terms of complications - e.g. would she be able to talk, chew, swallow, would her face lose its shape and sink, when would they give her replacement teeth etc.

Whilst not openly refusing to answer her questions the Consultant provided her with no answers merely saying that it was in her best interest to have the operation.

Can anyone advise on what she can expect if she agrees?