Cancer mum has thought 'long and hard' about treating son The court was told that if Neon does not get "urgent" treatment he will die within two to three months. The growth is more than 1.5cm square in size, meaning that he was now in a "high risk category." Robin Tolson, QC, told the court: "This for the mother, is a very serious issue. We know she had thought long and hard about it. It is clear now that her position has changed. He added: "The present position [is] she does not feel able to consent to surgery. She is not persuaded of the need and in particular she is not persuaded by the urgency. The court heard she is still attempting to find "other" expert evidence. The method of treatment available in Britain is the "gold standard," it was heard. Neon's surgeon, a leading paediatric oncologist who can only be known as Doctor A, told the court: "It is highly, highly likely he will die and he will die over a short period of time. It would be ethically wrong for that to take place. The court was also told that Mrs Roberts had today sacked her legal team and was poised to appoint Imran Khan, a well known human rights lawyer who has represented defendants in major terrorism trials as well as the family of Stephen Lawrence. The hearing was temporarily adjourned today before the judge is expected to rule on whether the surgery will proceed. Mrs Roberts, originally from Auckland, New Zealand and her estranged husband Ben, 34, were last week told their son's cancer had returned, during an urgent meeting with doctors. The "vibrant" young boy underwent MRI scans which uncovered a one centimetre mass in an area where the previous brain tumour was removed. Mrs Roberts, who provoked a nationwide hunt when she went missing earlier this month, had previously said she would consent to the full treatment should the cancer, called medulloblastoma, return. A court ruling on whether Neon should receive treatment against his mother's wishes was delayed on Saturday because of medical "developments."