A reviewer described the story as "not a discussion about the science of cancer, [and] not a guidebook to the troubles one may face with this disease... through this graphic novel, Fies simply tries to make sense of and document the reality of the course of his mother’s illness and how it affected his family... he simply tells the reader how it is, how he felt, and how it happened... Mixed messages from different doctors contradict and confound one another.

As Fies’ mother struggles (and to an extent, fails) to understand her illness she is made to feel less than by providers who belittle her concerns or simply put on a big smile.

The pain, fear, and anguish that patients face once they leave the hospital is brought to the forefront throughout the book.

"[1] Several scientific papers have cited Mom's Cancer when examining medical humanities such as doctor-patient interactions and narratives around illness.

[20] and the 18-page webcomic A Fire Story (later expanded to a 154-page book) which recounts the devastation caused by California wildfires in 2017 which destroyed his home.