Hi all
Hi.
My grandma is 85 years old and has tongue cancer. Doctor said she cannot do the surgery of the tongue removal since she is too old and her heart will not be able to handle it. and chemo treatment is not going to help her since her cancer is very big. So without any methods, her tongue is swelling and starting to bleed recently. Is there anyway to make her feel better and what is it going to happen? Is that really nothing we can help?

Thank you!

I am so sorry to read your post. Im sure your grandmother and the entire family is going thru a terrible time. Go for a second or even third opinion at a cancer center immediately. If there is nothing anyone can do for her then look into hospice. It will keep her comfortable.

Thanks!

I am so sorry to read your post. Please keep us updated as many here have faced the same and are here to give you good advice and support. Our prayers are with you as you go through this painful time.
Malka
PS is LA Los Angeles or Louisiana?

I am so sorry to hear of your situation and bow to the experts who have already responded. "Too old" is a very hard thing to accept as a reason for no treatment (my own feeling is that no one is too old when it is your own family member being talked about).

What does your grandma want to do? Is she accepting of what the doctors are telling her or does she want treatment? If she wants treatment, maybe shrinking her tumour will make her more comfortable? I am quite new at this myself so please ask your doctor.

For 3-4 months before diagnosis, my Alex was in enough distress to take pain killers laced with codeine 3 or 4 times a day, every day. When he was finally diagnosed the tumour was 4cm (just under 2 inches). He felt better immediately after his first round of chemotherapy and realised about week 3 that he was not taking pain killers anymore. The chemo made him sick of course and this is something you and your grandma need to think about but we are now through 4 rounds of chemo and Alex has no pain and no visible tumour. The cancer is still there but it is so small the doctors can't see it anymore.

Everybody's cancer is different, and everybody reacts differently to treatment and the doctors may have excellent reasons for their opinion in your grandma's case, but if your grandma wants to treat, and it was me, I would get another opinion.

Good luck
KLo