Do you know if your father had any tumor shrinkage at all while he was on Tarceva? If so, it would definitely be worth trying again. Although Tarceva can have amazing results for some people, my mother's oncologist explained to us that the percentage is pretty small. I think your chances of any success decrease even further with smokers.
My mom tried Tarceva for about a month, but her cancer grew during that time, rather than shrank or stayed the same. She did not have the typical side effects. She had been a smoker for at least fifty years, although at the time she was diagnosed she hadn't smoked in five years.
Have you tried any alternative treatments with your father? I wanted to with my mom, but accupuncture for comfort was the only thing she was really willing to do. Roz