Hi Clare
I've not read everyone's responses, but a few, including both of Dai's.
I had an awful time going through my auto SCT (almost two years ago). Having said that, I completely agree with Dai that even though it may be horrid to go through, it really isn't terrifying, just a bit miserable.
In my case, a relapse came very quickly – 5 months, so the SCT was deemed to have failed. However, I don't think that an SCT will bring on an earlier relapse, so I think I would have relapsed anyway. The doctors who ARE proponents of SCT reckon that it increases the chances of a longer remission, but we are all different and there's no way of knowing what will work best for any of us, including your mum. As research continues, they hope to discover markers that indicate which treatments would be best for individual people, but we're not there yet.
I want to add one thing, which is that as your mum is 67, she is at the slightly older end of the spectrum for being considered for an SCT. That is a good thing because it means that they deem her to be young/healthy enough and a good candidate to benefit from it. But it also means that she might not be considered for it in a few years time…
I wish you and her the best of luck and am sure you will come to a decision that feels right. That's the best you can do.
Jet