My mother was in her 60's when they found her cancer, her first mammogram and it picked it up, they did a masectomy of her left breast and two of her lymph nodes under her left arm. She didn't have to do any type of treatments. But that was thiry years ago. She lived about fifteen years after she had cancer, she died from a stroke.
As far as dealing with losing your parent, trust in the Lord and he will get you through anything. I know this from experience.
G-Maw Wilda