Posted on 10/14/2011 11:30:53 AM PDT by freespirited
Herman Cain was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in March 2006. "I had it in my colon and my liver — stage IV," the GOP presidential candidate said in a speech last year. "And to quote my first surgeon: 'That's as bad as it gets.'" His second surgeon gave him a slightly rosier outlook, telling Cain: "You have a five percent chance of even being alive three years from now."
At the time, the pessimism was warranted. "Five or six years ago stage IV colon cancer was a lethal disease," says Luis Diaz MD, an assistant professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins. But Cain took advantage of cutting-edge advances in surgery and chemotherapy — treatments that have since become standard — to aggressively treat the disease over the course of nine months. He underwent two rounds of chemo and a six-and-a-half hour surgery that removed 30 percent of his colon and 70 percent of his liver.
Today, Cain is the GOP's implausible frontrunner. But is he a dead man walking? Should his cancer history disqualify him from running for the nation's highest office?
Not at all, says Diaz, who has treated similar cases with "very good results."
Today, Cain insists, he's a healthy man. As he told Good Morning America: "Two months ago, I went to see my oncologist in Atlanta, got a full-scale check-up, CAT scan, X-rays, all of the various blood tests, and he put it in writing that, after five years, I am now totally, 100 percent, cancer-free." Cain has vowed to make some of his health records public.
Having already survived five years, Cain's prognosis for another five years of survival is "definitely greater than 50 percent and likely much higher than that," says Diaz. The oncologist hesitated to offer a more definitive prognosis without first seeing Cain's lab work, but says that the Republican is likely now "as normal and healthy as someone who doesn't have cancer."
A second oncologist contacted by Rolling Stone largely agrees. "Most recurences happen within the first two years or so," says Christina Cellini MD, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center. After five years, she says, doctors begin talking about patients like Cain as "cured."
The longer Cain remains disease free, both doctors say, the better his prognosis gets. And even in the event that Cain's cancer returns, says Diaz, "it's likely to be in one spot that you can cut out relatively easily." In other words, says Cellini, any return of the disease could likely be "managed" with further surgery or chemotherapy.
The Johns Hopkins doctor calls Cain a "poster child" for modern colon cancer treatment, but adds that Cain should continue to receive a full workup every six months to a year to make sure that "nothing scary" pops up. "He's still at risk," says Cellini, "but there are no limitations on what he can or cannot do."
Diaz is adamant that Cain's cancer treatment — as the candidate has publicly described it — should not scare away voters. From cardiac disease to the kind of systemic afflictions that dogged JKF, he says, "other presidents and presidential candidates have confronted more serious medical issues."
As I recall, the MSM raised the same “health concerns” regarding Dick Cheney. The guy is still with us. Anything to besmirch the opposition.
Thanks for posting this thread. It is always good to get the facts.
We knew this was going to come out sooner or later. The media has to crush Cain from some angle, but in this one they imitate “concern”. What they are really doing is raising the issue, obviously, to remind voters and plant the seed of “risk” with Cain. This is not over. It’s abominable and it will get worse. One by one, they are going to take down our candidates until they get Romney.
We knew this was going to come out sooner or later. The media has to crush Cain from some angle, but in this one they imitate “concern”. What they are really doing is raising the issue, obviously, to remind voters and plant the seed of “risk” with Cain. This is not over. It’s abominable and it will get worse. One by one, they are going to take down our candidates until they get Romney.
May Mr. Cain live long and prosper.
When someone laughably brought up Cain’s age as a concern a couple of days ago, I said, “Next they’ll bring up his cancer.” Right on cue. Next, I suppose it will be, “That one picture has him wearing sunglasses, but it doesn’t look like anyone else is. Is there something wrong with his eyes? I don’t think I could vote for anyone with failing vision.” For cripes sake, they’ve brought up his hairline as a reason he is unelectable.
>> Would that be an abbreviation for “John Kerry, Faggot” ?
ROFL!
Tell you what, speaking of medical issues... “JKF” sure had a seriously bad case of cranial-rectal impaction, didn’t he?
In 1992 Paul Tsongas, survivor of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, won the New Hampshire Presidential primary. In response to questions, he insisted that his cancer had been cured, and he would be healthy enough for the office.
He died of pneumonia and liver failure on January 18, 1997, two days before his term as President would have ended had he been elected in 1992.
In 1992 Paul Tsongas, survivor of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, won the New Hampshire Presidential primary. In response to questions, he insisted that his cancer had been cured, and he would be healthy enough for the office.
He died of pneumonia and liver failure on January 18, 1997, two days before his term as President would have ended had he been elected in 1992.
Hey, McCain got the nomination despite a history of melanoma.
I know they say Johnny boy is disease-free, but I swear that tumor has eaten into his brain.
Cain knows that he would be dead if 0bamacare were in effect when he was sick. I trust him to kill 0bamacare if elected.
He should do it as soon as obummer shows his Birth Certificate, all schools grades, where and how he got his Connecticut SS number, his medical records, his current blood tests, checking for pot, crack, coke and regular smokes.
The always predictable media.
They’ll be all compassion as they spell out how this “probably” won’t affect his ability to lead. Then they’ll have a panel with “experts” at least one of whom will paint a very dark scenario. That will be picked up by newspapers and other outlets, and “probably” will become “risky.”
That’s the way the media operates.
He should do it as soon as obummer shows his Birth Certificate, all schools grades, where and how he got his Connecticut SS number, his medical records, his current blood tests, checking for pot, crack, coke and regular smokes.
What enemedia WILL NOT DO is demand little barry bassturd’s medical records. A coke head smoking bi-sexual is likely to be proven via his medical History, so his kneepad sycophancy (the media) will absolutely not air his records.
What was the wisecrack Cain made to his doctor? Something like “Doc, can I survive with just a sliver of my liver?”
It made me smile and it shows the man’s spirit in the face of adversity.
We could do worse than this man in the White House for 4 to 8 years.
Kennedy was more at risk for serious health issues because of his sexual degenerate behavior ... remember ‘Frick and Frack’?
Heh...I see the Mod came down with a case of PC-itis.
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