Peter Jennings has lung cancer

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » April 5, 2005, 12:19 pm

Peter’s Email

Dear All – Forgive me the group mailing – but it seems the easiest way to tell a lot of people I care for ….. about a change in my life. I have been diagnosed with lung cancer. Yes, it was quite a surprise. As you all know, this is a challenge. I begin chemo-therapy next week. I will continue to do the broadcast. There will be good days and bad, which means that some days I may be cranky and some days really cranky! Almost 10 million Americans are living with cancer. I am sure I will learn from them how to cope with the facts of life that none of us anticipated. In all the years I have worked here I have had the most outstanding support from this news division. Hundreds of you have been like family. It feels good to have such a family right now.

Peter

Seems the networks are really going through broadcasters right now. Tough break for Peter. It must be pretty serious if he was diagnosed yesterday and they have him set for chemo next week.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » April 5, 2005, 12:41 pm

that doesnt necessarily mean it is especially serious. I think in general it when people are diagnosed with cancer, once they have settled on a treatment plan, it is just prudent to begin it immediately. outside of a patient being pregnant, i'm not sure that they like to delay. but i'm in no way shape or form a medical professional.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » April 5, 2005, 1:06 pm

There are different forms of treatment for different levels of seriousness. If it's straight to chemo next week, then I would imagine it's a pretty big deal. It basically means the cancer is not located in a single location, like a malignent neoplasam in the form of a lump/mass. Something like that, they would just cut out, especially if it were located in or on the lung. The use of chemotherapy usually implies it is spreading, or has a serious chance of spreading. The type and stageing of his cancer has not been listed yet, but I'm very curious what information will be given.

I code cancers all day long at the hospital and visit the chemo clinic 2-3 times a week for clarifications on diagnosis and patient tracers. Just passing along what has been my experience with lung cancer and it's treatment.

Homercles · Post by **Homercles** » April 5, 2005, 3:22 pm

Since theyre going at this with chemo, Id say it is very serious. Lung Cancer is normally detected late. Its usually disguised as a cough early on and people often dont go to a doc to get it looked at. It usually takes someone coughing up blood to take there cough serious. And by then its too late. By then the cancer has most likely spread to the lymph nodes. And that makes it inoperable.

Hopefully he did catch it early and theyre taking aggressive measures against it. Maybe he learned about it a few months back and only now let us know since it would soon be obvious due to the chemo.

But if they just discovered the cancer, and theyre already at the chemo stage, I'd say Peter doesnt have much life left. Maybe 3 years.

Lung Cancer is a nasty beast.

noel · Post by **noel** » April 5, 2005, 3:37 pm

It's not necessarily that bleak. Lance Armstrong was given a less than 3% chance to live.

I agree it's absolutely serious, but it's not hopeless.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » April 5, 2005, 4:42 pm

Bad news. Despite his canadian origins, I liked Peter Jennings best of the big three. It was always good for a chucle when he said "aboot" revealing his dirty secret.

Mak · Post by **Mak** » April 6, 2005, 1:06 am

I bet he's glad he's got US health insurance instead of that free Canadian stuff.

miir · Post by **miir** » April 6, 2005, 9:26 am

Mak wrote:I bet he's glad he's got US health insurance instead of that free Canadian stuff.

Is that supposed to be sarcastic or are you really an idiot?

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » April 6, 2005, 9:30 am

Homercles wrote:Since theyre going at this with chemo, Id say it is very serious. Lung Cancer is normally detected late. Its usually disguised as a cough early on and people often dont go to a doc to get it looked at. It usually takes someone coughing up blood to take there cough serious. And by then its too late. By then the cancer has most likely spread to the lymph nodes. And that makes it inoperable.

Hopefully he did catch it early and theyre taking aggressive measures against it. Maybe he learned about it a few months back and only now let us know since it would soon be obvious due to the chemo.

But if they just discovered the cancer, and theyre already at the chemo stage, I'd say Peter doesnt have much life left. Maybe 3 years.

Lung Cancer is a nasty beast.

If they are doing chemo and not operating, he is in serious trouble. Some of the lung cancers are inoperable due to the location of the tumor and it being too close to the heart. My mother had a rare type of lung cancer that was in that category. Chemo will almost certainly work the first time around. The problem is that if/when it comes back you are not going to survive.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » April 6, 2005, 9:54 am

miir wrote:
Mak wrote:I bet he's glad he's got US health insurance instead of that free Canadian stuff.
Is that supposed to be sarcastic or are you really an idiot?

From what I can see: Yes.

Mak · Post by **Mak** » April 6, 2005, 10:12 am

miir wrote:
Mak wrote:I bet he's glad he's got US health insurance instead of that free Canadian stuff.
Is that supposed to be sarcastic or are you really an idiot?

Yes, it was sarcastic. Winnow mentioned his Canadian origins and it reminded me of the debate over the state of health care between the two countries- and how pointless that debate would be in a case such as this.

miir · Post by **miir** » April 6, 2005, 10:20 am

Mak wrote: Yes, it was sarcastic.

Moonwynd · Post by **Moonwynd** » April 6, 2005, 11:27 am

6 out of 10 people diagnosed with lung cancer die within the first year.

8 out of 10 people diagnosed with lung cancer die within the second year.

I hope they caught it early and it is treatable.

Midnyte_Ragebringer · Post by **Midnyte_Ragebringer** » April 6, 2005, 11:47 am

I hope this results in him leaving the network. This will be a great 2 years if we replace 3 of the big netwrok news guys. New blood can only be good.......I hope anyway.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » April 6, 2005, 1:09 pm

Moonwynd wrote:6 out of 10 people diagnosed with lung cancer die within the first year.

8 out of 10 people diagnosed with lung cancer die within the second year.

I hope they caught it early and it is treatable.

How would they catch this stuff early? Does it show up on some sort of routine testing? Am I supposed to be going for cancer exams that check skin, lung, prostate (three fingers), and other forms?

It seems any kind of internal cancer would be hard to catch early.

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » April 6, 2005, 1:26 pm

You would generally end up being checked for some type of chronic cough. It doesn't take a large tumor to irritate your lungs and cause the cough. Of course as you get older you should be going in for physicals a lot more often and they run blood work which can detect problems.

Moonwynd · Post by **Moonwynd** » April 6, 2005, 1:50 pm

They do not like to give routine chest x-rays as there needs to be a balance between how much x-ray radiation you are exposed to...which means that they generally find this cancer in an advanced stage because:

1. People do not go to doctors as often as they should.
2. A cough...even a nagging persistent cough...does not send up warning signals to most people.

So they find lung cancer usually after it has a firm foothold. It is so deadly because it is in the lungs, where the blood is oxygenated. Blood enters lungs...spreads cancerous cells to other areas of the body. Cancer metastasizes and hits liver/brain or whatnot. Or in some cases the tumor ruptures a major blood vessel near your lung and you essentially bleed out or drown in your own blood. I have seen both firsthand (Grandmother and grandfather in law).

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » April 6, 2005, 2:21 pm

Once it's determined that chemo would be a benefit they like to get you into treament as fast as possible.

Voronwë wrote:outside of a patient being pregnant, i'm not sure that they like to delay.

Even then they won't always delay, a freinds wife started chemo 5 months pregnant as she wouldn't have lived to term. Kid's name is Phoenix

No problems whatsoever in either of them in the last 7 years.

Forthe · Post by **Forthe** » April 6, 2005, 2:36 pm

Aabidano wrote:Once it's determined that chemo would be a benefit they like to get you into treament as fast as possible.
Voronwë wrote:outside of a patient being pregnant, i'm not sure that they like to delay.
Even then they won't always delay, a freinds wife started chemo 5 months pregnant as she wouldn't have lived to term. Kid's name is Phoenix No problems whatsoever in either of them in the last 7 years.

Just wait until the kid hits puberty and his mutant powers develop.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » April 6, 2005, 2:56 pm

Forthe wrote:
Aabidano wrote:Once it's determined that chemo would be a benefit they like to get you into treament as fast as possible.
Voronwë wrote:outside of a patient being pregnant, i'm not sure that they like to delay.
Even then they won't always delay, a freinds wife started chemo 5 months pregnant as she wouldn't have lived to term. Kid's name is Phoenix No problems whatsoever in either of them in the last 7 years.
Just wait until the kid hits puberty and his mutant powers develop.

Your avatar still looks too French Forthe!