Mother-in-law Diagnosed: How can I best help my worried wife?

If it is early breast cancer, it all depends on what therapy your mother in law's doctors are going to want to proceed with.  Unless your mother-in-law has no one at all to be with her (relative, friend, hubby) I don't know why your wife would have to go to another country to be with her.  I think it all depends a lot on whether or not your in-law is basically a strong type woman.  Many woman handle their diagnosis and procedures very well on their own.  Cancer does not have to be a death sentence  and even the chemo and radiation treatments are handled very well by women who have no one to help them.  Now if the doctor gives her a more drastic diagnosis, I can see why you would want to encourage your wife to be at her mother's side.  A lot depends on the emotional condition of your in-law.  Personally, I would not want my daughter to have to leave her family and join me in another country unless I were undergoing treatments I could not cope with.