My elderly mother has small bowel cancer and spread to liver and she is yellow and hardly eatling?

I am sorry to hear: I am very sorry to hear of your mother's condition. Small bowel cancer is uncommon. Spread of the cancer to the liver sounds worrisome in the face of developing yellow jaundice & poor eating. She could have the beginning of liver failure. Contact your family doctor & her oncologist asap to relay your concerns & see what options there may be.

Liver mets: Bring her to see an oncologist for further eval and therapy. She could have biliary duct obstruction from the cancer and perhaps palliative stenting can help to relieve the symptoms, or could be she is the process of liver failure etc. Once the acute issue like biliary obstruction is treated- then if she choses to get chemotherapy- a palliative systemic chemo should be considered. Go to see her md.

Keep the hope: if the jaundice is due to biliary duct blockage, the endoscopy and stent will releive it. Then, there is chance for mild chemo like oral Xeloda (capecitabine) to help her to live longer.

Hospice?: Frail elderly malnourished patients with advanced cancer may not benefit from chemotherapy. Ask her doctor whether efforts should be turned to comfort care now. Ask if he feels hospice care is indicated. Hospice helped my mother die comfortably and naturally in her own home.