I do not wish to sound callous here, but she has only one option. Have the surgery and the radiation and live. Forgo treatment, and life will be short and painful at the end. This quality of life issue is certainly important, but fear of the discomforts of the treatments and tolerating a removable appliance for the rest of her years is no reason to quit. Try to bring her soon to a positive perspective on her future. Every day untreated makes a positive outcome less likely. Obviously other issues are unmentioned that may affect her decision. If she is 95 and feels that she has lived a long and good life, palliative care to bring things to a close in a comfortable manner with family may be a viable choice. If she is a younger woman, then my personal opinion as an outsider, is that life is worth fighting for

Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.