My dad was diagnosed with Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cancer last November and since then he has had surgery and radiotherapy and two shots of chemo. He finished his radiotherapy on 1 May 2015 and was told that a scan will tell after 3 months. However, he has had small lumps appear on his neck and they are spreading.

We were told that the cancer has come back and that it is not curable and that they are concerned at the rate it seems to be spreading. He has not been well, he is very weak and so they have kept him in to do tests to see if there is anything else making him tired. Doctors mentioned that chemo could be offered but that will slow it rather than kill it and she mentioned by weeks rather than months (may be the other way round, can't remember). We are waiting to find out more. They did say it would be chemo or palliative care. They have not mentioned any other drugs.

My question is that if is was serious and that they thought it means that my dad does not have long left would they say this? We would rather prepare ourselves if that is the case without being given vague information.