Hi Clarabel,

So sorry to hear about your dad.  As a palliative carer you probably actually know more than most of us about timeframes.  I would say it's normal to want to know how long he has left, but my experience of friends and family members being given time frames is that they are inevitably wrong (well they are just educated guesses anyway), often being way out.

I'm not medically qualified but it makes sense that any other conditions your dad has that make him more frail will lessen his ability to cope with the side effects of the cancer and treatment and will likely shorten his life that bit more, but sometimes people really surprise you.

My feeling is that the best thing you can do really is to make the most of every day rather than dwell on an end date, because if you have an end date in your mind you might find you 'work towards it' subconsciously, and if it's wrong that could leave you with things unsaid or undone.

Best wishes,

LJxx