Posted on 09/13/2007 8:21:01 PM PDT by Rennes Templar
WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson has a rare type of cancer that specialists say is incurable but not life-threatening over the short term.
Although the 65-year-old former senator and actor says his disease is in remission, studies of other cases indicate that it's likely to return within the next two to five years.
But cancer experts say his malignancy -- a slow-growing disruption of the immune system known as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma -- can be well managed with drugs and needn't interfere with normal activities.
They say Thompson has an excellent chance of survival for at least five to 10 years, based on the experiences of other patients reported in medical journals.
"My understanding is you can expect to live a normal life expectancy," Thompson said Sunday on his campaign bus. But he acknowledged that "it's something that is always potentially there."
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of cancer that begins in the cells of the lymph system, a complex network of specialized cells whose task is to detect and destroy invading microbes.
For unknown reasons, some lymph cells occasionally run amok, traveling through the body and forming cancerous lumps that interfere with the immune system.
Sometimes these unruly cells grow rapidly, causing an "aggressive" non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that's often fatal. Sometimes the growth is slow, leading to a case of "indolent," or painless, lymphoma. This is the kind that Thompson has.
-snip-
Thanks to improvements in treatment, patients are surviving longer than they used to. The five-year expected survival rate of 63 percent is up from 48 percent 30 years ago.
Thompson's cancer was detected in 2004, as a lump in his neck. It later spread to other areas. His doctor prescribed a new drug, Rituxan, which drove the disease into remission.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
He will pick Rudy as his VP.
We need to pray for Fred.
Duncan
Oddly enough, the ShjtSac Bee’ illness is far more serious and faster acting. What illness? Ask our good FRiend abb about that.
Could be, but we can’t deny the facts.
Oh, look, it’s a story about why not to vote for Thompson. Gosh, everyone with those ‘Livestrong’ bracelets should now boo and hiss someone who has survived cancer so far.
I wonder if some of these people feel any guilt for the stories they write?
This article has been planted, and the most pessimistic view of the medical view of this condition has been presented.
Death is slow and serious. Next question? We are all going to die … aging is part of life (so to speak).
Looks like they're going at it again.
My former boss - a great guy and a veteran - was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The treatment for it took him out of work for a while, but he came back and was doing really good. And then it killed him when it came out of remission. Despite all the drugs and other treatment, it took him out of work for over a year, then a couple of years after it went into remission, despite all the careful medical care and treatment, he died from it. This was just a few years ago. This is a serious disease.
His health is going to be an issue in this campaign. We better get used to it.
I agree with you, but I’d take this with a BIG grain of salt - the Sacramento Bee is another dem house organ. This article is an anti-Fred screed.
Life is a terminal disease.
Regardless of who makes the Presidency, keeping Vice President Richard B. Cheney hanging around the Naval Observatory wouldn’t be a bad idea.
This news bulletin brought to you by Hillary Clinton and paid for by Norman Hsu and George Soros.
It’s funny that we have not seen any articles about the RAT’s slate of candidates who all suffer from ‘brain disease’!!
Does that mean none of us are getting out alive?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.