A mother who has refused to let her seven-year-old son have radiotherapy treatment following surgery for a brain tumour has returned to the High Court.
Sally Roberts, 37, says she fears that radiotherapy will cause her son, Neon, long-term harm.
Doctors have said Neon could die within months if he does not receive the treatment.
The judge has been hearing arguments about the pros and cons of radiotherapy at the court in London.
Ms Roberts told the court she is not a "bonkers mother".
She fears radiotherapy will reduce Neon's intelligence quotient (IQ), shorten his life, put him at risk of having strokes and make him infertile.
Ms Roberts, who comes from New Zealand, has said she would agree to Neon being given chemotherapy because any damage caused could be "overcome".
"The mother remains concerned that radiotherapy is not in Neon's best interests," Ian Peddie QC, for Ms Roberts, told the judge.
"We assert that there are doctors who can offer credible alternative treatment to the therapy that is proposed."
The boy's father Ben, who is separated from Ms Roberts, has agreed to the radiotherapy but is said to be "apprehensive".
The barrister representing the hospital argues that any alternatives will not be as good as the "gold standard" recommended.
A specialist treating Neon has described Ms Roberts' comments as "sensible" and accepted that there could be side-effects to radiotherapy.
But he said without radiotherapy the little boy could die within a few months.
And Victoria Butler-Cole, who is representing doctors involved in Neon's care, told the judge that Ms Roberts was proposing "experimental therapies", which are "unproven", as alternatives to radiotherapy.
Mr Justice Bodey said he would have to balance risk against benefit in deciding whether to allow doctors to use radiotherapy treatment.
"It is a balance between the disadvantages of radiotherapy and the improved prospects of living," he told lawyers.
"You can only suffer these detriments to your life if you are alive."
The judge said Neon's case was urgent, the hospital where he was being cared for was regarded as a "centre of excellence" and any alternative treatment would need to be available soon.
He added: "Someone has to be found pronto who is able to say 'I am qualified and able to care for this boy'."
Ms Roberts had asked the judge to adjourn the hearing until early in January to allow her more time to investigate alternatives to radiotherapy.
But the judge refused her application and said a decision on radiotherapy had to be made.
On Tuesday, it was ruled that Neon would have further surgery to remove a "residual tumour" against Ms Roberts' wishes.
Ms Roberts wanted the operation delayed until more doctors had been consulted.
But specialists treating Neon said follow-up surgery needed to be carried out urgently and Mr Justice Bodey said the operation should go ahead.
Neon had the seven-hour procedure on Wednesday and the court was told it had gone well.
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