Posted on 06/30/2010 5:08:13 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
OS ANGELES (Reuters) – British-born author Christopher Hitchens on Wednesday cut short a book tour to undergo chemotherapy, which several media outlets reported was because the heavy smoker has been diagnosed with cancer.
"I have been advised by my physician that I must undergo a course of chemotherapy on my esophagus. This advice seems persuasive to me. I regret having had to cancel so many engagements at such short notice," Hitchens, 61, said in a statement released through his publishers Twelve.
A representative for the publisher offered no details beyond the statement.
Hitchens, known to be a heavy smoker, launched a book tour last month to promote his memoir "Hitch 22" which tackles subjects ranging from the Middle East and Zimbabwe to his friendships with prominent writers including Salman Rushdie and Martin Amis.
As a journalist, critic and war correspondent, Hitchens has carved out a reputation for barbed repartee, scathing critiques of public figures and a fierce intelligence.
In his 2008 book "God Is Not Great", Hitchens put himself on a collision course with major religions with his trenchant atheist views.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
One has to wonder if he’ll turn to God in his time of need.
Ouch. From what I’ve read, esophageal cancer can be a very tough one to beat. A lot probably depends on how early they detect it, of course.
Hitch..I am a survivor of esophageal cancer and am not an expert, but highly suggest that you get even more opinions outside the UK. The best path to survival is usually via surgery first rather than weakening your system with chemo. I made that difficult decision and am now 7 years cancer free without chemo. Very tough operation, but I am glad that I did that first. Since you no doubt have your own resources, I recommend you see Dr. Demeester at USC Hospital in LA..a renown surgeon and expert at this disease.
I sure hope that he beats it. I don’t care that he doesn’t believe in anything, that shouldn’t matter at this point.
Who you gonna call?
Hitchens and his ilk like Bill Maher have become impossible human beings to be around. I don’t wish cancer on anyone really...it’s horrible.
Hitchens better come to grips with our great Watchmaker in the sky or he’s gonna have bigger problems than cancer at the end of the day.
Congrats to you and your good news.
That’s what’s so awesome about God; he loves Hitchens and Christ died for him and he can still be saved. Think of Paul who hated Christians and were hunting them down to be killed and Jesus spoke to him and from that moment Paul gave all to tell the good news of salvation through Jesus and was the greatest evangelist ever. Hitchens can be healed, he can be saved and he can become a messenger of God. All things are possible.
God has always been with him, He is with him now- Hitchens has a tough row to hoe with this.
The man is a lot of things, a person lacking a strong constitution is not one of them.
I disagree with most of his views; that aside, I wish him a speedy recovery.
If he’s just getting chemotherapy, it’s already spread. He’ll die of this. Hopefully, he’ll find the God he so hated before the end.
Prayers up for Mr. Hitchens. He has a big battle ahead of him.
This is, to me, very sad news. I find no joy in the suffering of Mr. Hitchens, though he most certainly made himself to be an antagonist of any faith in general, and from my perspective, the Christian Faith in particular.
I hope and pray — against the rebellious nature that is common to ALL men, and the callous insurrection that is peculiar to those who are actively atheistic — that the Holy Spirit of God might be able to find an avenue of appeal to this man’s lost soul and draw him to a saving faith and knowledge in Jesus Christ.
Perhaps Mr. Hitchens rebellion will never give way even for a moment to the gentle persuasion of the Lord’s drawing. BUt the Lord is there, and He is willing. If he fails to heed, he cannot then hold the Church or the Christian religion or the Christian God which atheists claim do not exist accountable for his eternal state.
I, for one, pray for Mr. Hitchens healing, and more so for his salvation in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ....
I’m glad to hear that you are free of this dread disease, Oldexpat!
Please copy and paste your message to Hitch in the appropriate box at Twelve. They are his publishers. Maybe they will give the message to him, or he will see it.
God bless.
Scroll to bottom of page if “message to author” doesn’t show up on screen.
http://www.twelvebooks.com/about/contact.asp#note
So is he going back home to face the nice counsel to see if he is worth to live or will he get the treatment here in the USA?
thanks..
I can’t find an email for Hitchens, but maybe somebody will pass along the info. Along with the best surgeon I could find..I had many prayers supporting me.
Thank you..I will give it a try. Dr. Demeester shows up pretty quick when you research the disease on the net..he literally wrote the book on the current surgical practice.
I’ll do the Christian thing and pray for his full recovery.
Here’s a wish for Christopher most of us can agree on.
http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php?itemid=4021
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