My mother has had a recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma the doctor says it is now stage 4 but he can t give us any idea of how long she has to live?

Difficult to predict: Tumors have unpredictable courses. We know averages but there are wide variations around those averages. You doctor is right in not providing a timeline as it is not feasible to provide a realistic one. I do sympathize with the sad situation you are facing. May he grant you the strength to take care of your mother and yourself!

Difficult to know: Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with a poor prognosis. Depending on your mother's functional status, there are chemotherapies available that have a decent chance of keeping it in check for sometime. Unfortunately, the average life expectancy for stage IV hcc is only about 12 months.

Sepends: It really depends on her ecog status and her child-pugh category.