I spoke with her yesterday for awhile. She gave me the name of the cancer she has, so I'm going to Google it. Will probably have to find an index of terminology to understand what they're talking about, though
We also spoke about her getting another cat to replace Rusty. She told me so many stories about him! He was a very cool cat. She and her husband have already talked about the possibility of getting another cat. She thinks it will take several trips to the SPCA to find the one they think will fit with their lives.
So, thanks everyone, for the tips and well wishes for her. Now off to research my Google hits.