should an 87 year old seek treatment??

My mom was 86 when she was diagnosed with small cell bladder cancer this January. Her symptoms were bleeding while urinating. We sought treatment at MD Anderson. Because small cell is so rare in bladder cancers, they treat it as lung cancer, which is also small cell. She went through the cysto easily and the surgeon removed the tumor that was there. However, they found a slightly enlarged lymph node next tot he bladder that was suspicious. Before the diagnosis, philosophically she didn't ever want to take chemo. After the diagnosis, she chose to go through the first round, which was four treatments two weeks apart, and then decide from there. These were done in order to kill any cancer cells that may have been in her body, but were invisible in the scans, and to shrink the lymph node if it was cancerous. She weathered these treatments very well. She is like your dad, not the typical 86 year old. After the four treatments, we were advised that her node had not responded and the tumor had returned. And since there was no research to provide alternatives for cure, there was nothing more they could do. They had given her the platinum treatment and her disease was nonresponsive. That was in late April this year. Since then, she feels fine, her hair is growing back, and she has had a great summer. And we with her. She is 87 now. Three days ago she started bleeding again, so she is deciding whether the time is right for palliative care. She does not want any more treatments. She's in good spirits and feels fine. This is a strange disease, because you feel fine and you don't look sick. At least now. I don't know how it progresses. I haven't any information about that.

I'm telling you my story so you can see how my mom handled this for the last 8 months. The decision is truly up to your dad. We are fine with her decision. My dad "chased the dragon" and had no quality of life for the 18 months he lived after his diagnosis. With my mom, we will take it as it comes. Good luck. I hope your family can move through this time with peace.

My Dad was 80 when he underwent the surgery to remove his bladder and prostate. The day before surgery, he was on the roof of his house cleaning the gutters! He was really strong. After the surgery (which had lots of complications in his case) he was never the same. He never said so, but I think he regretted ever going under the knife. The fact that his surgeon was not the most competent did not help matters. He survived until last year when he passed away at age 86. The cancer came back to his ureters. With that said, your Dad has to make his own decision but really should have all the facts before that decision is made. My Dad refused to treat the recurrence because chemo was not a path he wanted to take. He did not want to have tests done because he had already decided that further treatment was not what he wanted. This is a VERY difficult surgery and hard on even the younger ones who have it.

Surgery involving the bladder is a different method of getting in there to perform the biopsy. Did the doctor explain just how it is done? Taking a few hours to get a definite diagnosis would be worth anybody's time. Once known, personal decisions can be made. If more serious, he has the right to deny treatments. Quality of life would probably be more than just a few aches and pains. Good luck to you both.