My mom finished radiation and chemo October 29. Since then she's had continuous problems -- mucositis, infections, swelling of the tongue to the point of not being able to talk, etc. She's been convinced that the cancer was back (or never was gone), but the doctors believed things looked good and she just needed time to heal from the treatments. She had a PET scan Tuesday, and today we learned that the cancer is "progressing" but is still contained in her mouth and neck area. They offered chemo again, but said that it would only give her more time. She said no. She's ready to die and to be finished with this terrible, painful ordeal. I would appreciate any advice and ideas on what we can do to make her last days less painful. Hospice has been contacted, and someone is coming tomorrow to explain their services. Also, the doctor hasn't given even an estimate about how long she has, just that it probably will not move that quickly. Can anyone tell me what determines how long someone in this condition lingers on?