This is a tough time for your dad and your whole family.

Is your father's oncologist aware of all the other medical issues, and that your father's feeling weaker now?

This is a truly complicated case. HU is helpful to many thousands of people with sickle cell anemia, blood cancers and mouth and throat cancers.

Whether HU is benefitting your dad must be carefully assessed.

Hope you will hear soon from others with experience directly relevant to your father's situation.

I'm 71 been on HU for a few years no side effects really except for feeling better as my Hematocrit is kept in check . I do have a friend with mouth sores as a result of the drug but myself nothing. They say HU has been around for ever.

Now that said I have a wound on my foot that won't heal I walk over 2000 kms per year and had a cut from the constant wear. Any way my Doc took me off the HU 6 weeks ago and it still won't heal. So I can't say.

I would be considered a senior at 78 however, your father has 20 years on me. Is your father able to make the decision himself? If not I found 500mg a day 7 days a week to be harsh, stomach issues, headaches, sweating, extreme fatigue, general feeling of malaise, inability to sleep and on and on... after about a year I tolerated HU much better...If it was my father with your father's current medical conditions and age I would seriously consider doing nothing. In the end if your father is competent it's his decision, if not, then it's the family's decision. I wish all of you peace with your decision.