Jill, I agree with Lisa that isn't how it should work, but it also sounds to me like this nurse has some experience and MAY have given you some information worth asking more about. Espeically soince you feel you need to know in terms of care decisions (and that seems like a very legit reason to need to know to me).

Have you (or your father) asked this question directly of his doctor? That doctor should be able to give you some idea, specifically,of the chances that this surgery will send the cancer into remission, and what the odds are that it will come back (and how long the remission might be). Is there a chance (even a small one) it won't come back for several years? Or ever? Can she or he point you to any research on the succes of this sort of surgery in cases like your father's case?

Beware of what you ask, though. Are you sure hearing the answer would help? Remember whatever answer you hear, that you will be hearing statistics--what happens to the average patient--it won't necessarilly be what will happen for your father which could be much better or much worse than what the doctor tells you. So there is a limit on how much helpful information you'll get.

My dad had a really serious heart attack several years ago and, since it was a silent heart attack, it killed a lot of heart tissue before he could have some kind of bypass. When he finally was diagnosed, a young intern who looked at the results of his tests told him that unless he could get a bypass, he would have no longer than a year or two to live. He was later told he wouldn't be able to have the bypass (too high risk) but with the help of new drugs on the market and a heart that has managed to compensate for the main arteries that arent' working right, has lived a good healthy life for four and 1/2 years since that doctor told him his days were numbered. And he doesn't appear to be ready to leave it anytime soon! I know this isn;t cancer but I know cancer stories like that too (this one is just on my mind right now ebcause you are also dealing with your father) so I have to say that I think what anyone tells you, doctor, nurse or whoever, can be misleading and scare you unecessarilly.

Nelie