question: Hi My Mum, aged 76, has cancer of the oesophagus. She was diagnosed in August and has since received chemotherapy, radiotherapy and had a stent fitted in November because she couldn t swallow food anymore. The Consultant told us in february that the cancer had not spread and that it had not grown but Mum was still very weak - nowhere near as good as the Consultant expected. She has spent 5 weeks in hospital and now 2 weekes in a hospice as an interim towards going home again - during most of this time she has had a chest infection and activity and talking have caused her to cough - very exhausting. She has improved but now she is coughing up and being sick with clear phlegm - often in bubbles. This happens when she eats and sometimes even when she isn t eating. She is now drinking special drinks for energy / protein etc. We have seen Mum do this being sick with phlegm before - just before she had the stent fitted. I wondered if the stent had become blocked or moved but the doctor says that if Mum is able to drink then the stent must still be ok. Do you know what could be causing this for Mum? The hospice are talking about sending her home soon and I don t see how she s going to manage if this continues. Thank you very much.