Jimmy Carter says he has cancer

[webfact]

Jimmy Carter says he has cancer, revealed by recent surgery
By KATHLEEN FOODY

ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Jimmy Carter announced he has been diagnosed with cancer in a brief statement issued Wednesday.

"Recent liver surgery revealed that I have cancer that now is in other parts of my body," Carter said in the statement released by the Carter Center. "I will be rearranging my schedule as necessary so I can undergo treatment by physicians at Emory Healthcare."

The statement makes clear that Carter's cancer is widely spread, but not where it originated, or even if that is known at this point. The liver is often a place where cancer spreads and less commonly is the primary source of it. It said further information will be provided when more facts are known, "possibly next week."

Carter, 90, announced on Aug. 3 that he had surgery to remove a small mass from his liver.

Carter was the nation's 39th president, defeating Gerald Ford in 1976 with a pledge to always be honest. A number of foreign policy conflicts doomed his bid for a second term, and Carter lost to Ronald Reagan in a landslide.

After leaving the White House, he founded the center in Atlanta in 1982 to promote health care, democracy and other issues globally often with wife, Rosalynn by his side, and won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

He has remained active for the center in recent years, making public appearances at its headquarters in Atlanta and traveling overseas, including a May election observation visit to Guyana cut short when Carter developed a bad cold.

Carter also completed a book tour this summer to promote his latest work, "A Full Life."

Carter included his family's history of pancreatic cancer in that memoir, writing that his father, brother and two sisters all died of the disease and said the trend "concerned" the former president's doctors at Emory.

"The National Institutes of Health began to check all members of our family regularly, and my last remaining sibling, Gloria, sixty-four, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died in 1990," Carter wrote. "There was no record of another American family having lost four members to this disease, and since that time I have had regular X-rays, CAT scans, or blood analyses, with hope of early detection if I develop the same symptoms."

Carter wrote that being the only nonsmoker in his family "may have been what led to my longer life."

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to President Carter," said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.

"There's a lot we don't know," but the first task likely will be determining where the cancer originated, as that can help determine what treatment he may be eligible for, Lichtenfeld said. Sometimes the primary site can't be determined, so genetic analysis of the tumor might be done to see what mutations are driving it and what drugs might target those mutations.

"Given the president's age, any treatments, their potential and their impacts, will undoubtedly be discussed carefully with him and his family," he added.

Carter Center spokeswoman Deanna Congileo called the surgery earlier this month "elective" and said Carter's "prognosis is excellent for a full recovery." She declined to answer further questions at the time.

An Emory spokesman declined comment Wednesday. The health care system's Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta touts its designation as a National Cancer Institute center and a recent U.S. News and World Report ranking among the top 25 cancer programs in the U.S. on its website.
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AP Chief Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-08-13

[ezzra]

Often people who gets to this ripe age will be strike down with all sorts of terminal diseases but most of

all with cancer and as you get older the body defense mechanism is not what it used to be when younger,

Personally, despite his benevolent help and efforts to the worlds' habitat project, I never cared much

for the man, a bias person and too much of an Arab/Palestinians protector and mouth piece, while always

demonizing and criticizing Israel for defending itself......

[willyumiii]

He was not a great President,

but is a very good man, with a big heart, who has done much to help others in his life.

I wish him well.

Thank you Mr. President for all you have done.

[willyumiii]

Often people who gets to this ripe age will be strike down with all sorts of terminal diseases but most of

all with cancer and as you get older the body defense mechanism is not what it used to be when younger,

Personally, despite his benevolent help and efforts to the worlds' habitat project, I never cared much

for the man, a bias person and too much of an Arab/Palestinians protector and mouth piece, while always

demonizing and criticizing Israel for defending itself......

Hmmm..

With a name like "Ezzra" do I detect a little bias on your part here?

I do agree that it would be good if Israel would defend itself...without unlimited support from the U.S.

[sirineou]

Very sad news, I wish him the best of luck.

When he passes away, a long time from now I hope, the world will be a worst place with out him.

[sdanielmcev]

We make a lot of jokes about the guy, some deservedly so, but Mr Carter is a man of his word and faith. I've always admired him for that.

[2fishin2]

Often people who gets to this ripe age will be strike down with all sorts of terminal diseases but most of

all with cancer and as you get older the body defense mechanism is not what it used to be when younger,

Personally, despite his benevolent help and efforts to the worlds' habitat project, I never cared much

for the man, a bias person and too much of an Arab/Palestinians protector and mouth piece, while always

demonizing and criticizing Israel for defending itself......

Guess that means when you get cancer we can spit on you also....SMH

[Scott]

I hope he makes a full and speedy recovery. He has done a lot of good work since leaving the presidency.

[little mary sunshine]

So sad., person of integrity and wonderful

Statesman

[spidermike007]

Carter is a truly great man. What he has done with his presidential legacy is legendary. What he has done to help mankind, is astonishing. He has a heart the size of Georgia. I think he is widely regarded as being an ineffective president. And I think most of that was due to the fact that he was far, far too noble for the office. I consider him to be perhaps the most noble president of the 20th century. A really good man. Not deceitful. Not a lying fool like Clinton or Tiny George II.

I hope this wonderful man does not have to suffer. He made us better. He brought out the best in all of us. There are not too many men of his caliber, that we see in our lifetime. I put him right up there with great and courageous men like Anwar Sadat.

[up-country_sinclair]

I didn't vote for him in 1976 or 1980, but I did come to have a great deal of respect for the man. He has probably done more to improve people's lives than any former president. I wish him nothing but the best in his fight against cancer.

[webfact]

I wish you best of luck and speedy recovery.

[sammygood]

90, what a blessed age

body start to degrading

if he follows the normal medical procedure, won't be long that he will be dead in a cold hospital room instead of spending some quality time with remainder family

[Johpa]

Carter was perhaps the most honest president of my adult lifetime. I think history will treat him, and regard him, more positively than many of his contemporary critics. At 90 years of age, I do hope they aren't going to burden his last days with treatments that will unlikely significantly extend his survival.

[Jingthing]

Thanks to Jimmy Carter, I discovered GRITS.

I have a lot of respect for the man.

[umbanda]

Very sad news. Mr. Carter is a good man and politician, very rare to find in the US. I met him long time ago, when working for Habitat for Humanity in Mexico, and I was very impress with his personality and kindness.

I hope he is smart enough to know that the US is the worst possible location to treat cancer, with all the treatments designed to please the system, and where money rules over common sense. Surgery, Radiation, Chemo....it is obsolete..and kills more than cancer, and was replaced a long time with alternative treatments that are not licensed in the US.

I know, if not easy to reject an US doctors opinion, but the #1 World Power, do not have #1 Medicine. Many other countries apply the alternatives treatments no available in the US, specially 3rd World countries like Mexico, Cuba and even Thailand. Better places to treat cancer than the US.

Believe me. I was diagnosed with "terminal" colon cancer in 2007, and I rejected any treatment that will affect my body's self healing system, my energy, and my mental sanity.

Buddhism and Thailand saves my life...and I am not in remission....Tumors are gone, and my health better than ever...

US doctors said that its was a "miracle".....and probably were very sad for not getting the BIG money Medicare would have to pay for my treatment.

Edited August 13, 2015 by umbanda

[little mary sunshine]

BS post, better cure for ca in Thailand? Just lucky

If ca has been cured...probably not ca to begin with!!

[Jingthing]

Emory is one of the best hospitals in the world.

Not worried about his level of care but that doesn't mean things look good for a man of his age.

[hawker9000]

Emory is one of the best hospitals in the world.

Not worried about his level of care but that doesn't mean things look good for a man of his age.

...esp. if it turns out to be pancreatic cancer. What they found was in his liver, but that doesn't mean they think the cancer originated there. There'll be more news on this in the days ahead. He attributes his longevity, in contrast to other members of his family, to being a non-smoker (which is also in contrast...), and he might well be right about that.

[hawker9000]

Often people who gets to this ripe age will be strike down with all sorts of terminal diseases but most of

all with cancer and as you get older the body defense mechanism is not what it used to be when younger,

Personally, despite his benevolent help and efforts to the worlds' habitat project, I never cared much

for the man, a bias person and too much of an Arab/Palestinians protector and mouth piece, while always

demonizing and criticizing Israel for defending itself......

Guess that means when you get cancer we can spit on you also....SMH

Relax. Nobody's "spitting" on anybody, and no cause for a personal flame.

[2fishin2]

Often people who gets to this ripe age will be strike down with all sorts of terminal diseases but most of

all with cancer and as you get older the body defense mechanism is not what it used to be when younger,

Personally, despite his benevolent help and efforts to the worlds' habitat project, I never cared much

for the man, a bias person and too much of an Arab/Palestinians protector and mouth piece, while always

demonizing and criticizing Israel for defending itself......

Guess that means when you get cancer we can spit on you also....SMH

Relax. Nobody's "spitting" on anybody, and no cause for a personal flame.

Aure there was reason

[Benmart]

Often people who gets to this ripe age will be strike down with all sorts of terminal diseases but most of

all with cancer and as you get older the body defense mechanism is not what it used to be when younger,

Personally, despite his benevolent help and efforts to the worlds' habitat project, I never cared much

for the man, a bias person and too much of an Arab/Palestinians protector and mouth piece, while always

demonizing and criticizing Israel for defending itself......

In light of his disease, I prefer to concentrate on the first paragraph.

His demons are his property, as is my own business.

Good luck Mr. President.

[Exsexyman]

We make a lot of jokes about the guy, some deservedly so, but Mr Carter is a man of his word and faith. I've always admired him for that.

Very well put. No matter what side of the political spectrum we inhabit, and i suspect you and i wouldn't have too much in common in that regard, Jimmy Carter is self evidently a thoroughly decent human being. We should all be able to agree on that.

[Johpa]

I hope he is smart enough to know that the US is the worst possible location to treat cancer, with all the treatments designed to please the system, and where money rules over common sense. Surgery, Radiation, Chemo....it is obsolete..and kills more than cancer, and was replaced a long time with alternative treatments that are not licensed in the US.

I know, if not easy to reject an US doctors opinion, but the #1 World Power, do not have #1 Medicine. Many other countries apply the alternatives treatments no available in the US, specially 3rd World countries like Mexico, Cuba and even Thailand. Better places to treat cancer than the US.

They may be more affordable places to treat the range of diseases that share some similarities and thus come under the rubric of cancer. Yet there is also a lot of quackery that goes on in Mexico and other third world countries. One must tread carefully. But there is nothing wrong with giving the rapacious US drug industry the cold shoulder and seek alternative treatments and reject their ridiculous notion that every patient must "fight" the disease to their last dollar. And yes, the totally absurd US healthcare system is far from #1. Disclaimer: iNHL