Posted on 04/05/2005 8:05:50 AM PDT by waynebobo
Edited on 04/05/2005 8:16:38 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
ABC news anchor Peter Jennings has lung cancer.
XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX TUE APRIL 05, 2005 10:43:02 ET XXXXX
ABCNEWS PETER JENNINGS LUNG CANCER
**Exclusive**
Peter Jennings and David Westin sent the following e-mails to their ABC News colleagues this morning:
David Westin's e-mail
This morning, Peter Jennings told his senior staff at World News Tonight that yesterday afternoon he was diagnosed with lung cancer. I include below the full text of Peter’s note to the group of people with whom he works most closely. He will begin outpatient treatment next week here in New York. It’s both Peter’s and my expectation that he will anchor World News Tonight during the period of treatment to the extent he can do so comfortably; but, we should also expect him to be off the broadcast from time to time, depending on how he feels. Charlie Gibson, Elizabeth Vargas, and others will be substituting for Peter as necessary and when their other responsibilities permit.
All of us at ABC News have watched over the years as Peter has led us on various assignments with strength and with courage. We’ve done our best to support him in these endeavors. Now, Peter’s been given a tough assignment. He’s already bringing to this new challenge the courage and strength we’ve seen so often in his reporting from the field and in anchoring ABC News. I know that all of us will give him every bit of support that he needs and asks for. Peter will once again lead the way, but we will stand with him at every turn.
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
An uncle snoked all his life, dies one year after diagnosis
at 62. Not pretty at the end. Terribly bloated due to steroids. A friend has it now, they give her one more month.
yes, he smoked. Years ago when my parents first got a satellite dish, we would watch the news feeds before they are edited. I'll never forget seeing him on location somewhere with President Reagan. He was just smoking away and put the cigarette by his side when he was broadcasting.
Hate to break it to you, but Bernie's last day at CNN was February 28, 2001. Since then, I only saw him commenting on the Reagan funeral.
"Hate to break it to you, but Bernie's last day at CNN was February 28, 2001"
On the other hand, genetic studies have the potential to deny care for cancers. Once the enough cancers are linkable to particular genetic sequences, health insurance will be impossible to obtain for people with those gene makeups.
It's either going to destroy medical care as we know it, or will lead to single-payer government controlled health care, which might just be a way of saying the same thing...
Andy Kauffman is the only person I heard of who got lung cancer without being a smoker.
Yes, prayers for Peter. His idiotology does not now matter when we consider the seriousness of any cancer, and especially lung cancer.
There are cures for many types of cancers, though chemo is not one of them with a high success rate. Many cancer patients who opt for chemo die prematurely, but not always from the cancer. I know of some oncologists who, when diagnosed with cancers, opted for alternative treatments because they know the bad things that chemo does to many cancer patients - the oncologists I know of who opted out of chemo for the alt treatments are, by the way, survivors.
My understanding is that Mr Jennings did smoke. Smoking can be a contributor to the onset of lung and other cancers, but non-smokers sometimes also become cancer patients.
A healthy immune system is one of the best defenses, and an immune system made healthy after the onset of the disease can "cure" cancers.
Again, prayers for Mr Jennings! (And by the way, prayer also often results in a healing touch from God.)
Prayers for Peter. My father (RIP)died an early death from lung cancer.
That's true...there is a list of things that cause lung cancer.
Still, 8 out of 10 cases are caused by smoking. As a nurse, I can't recall ever taking care of a person with lung cancer who didn't smoke. It's an awful thing to have, for sure. I don't like Jennings, but I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Most cases are pretty grim.
So glad you survived. Let's pray PJ can beat the odds. God bless him.
Sounds kind of hopeless doesnt it??
Hey Im the first person to admit this (I have worked with these patients and survivors since 91) that we should have a cure. But we dont. Its a shame how much money is raised for this and people are still dying every day.
When I was in high school they showed us a film showing a guy getting one of his lungs removed due to lung cancer. The lung definitely looked in bad shape compared to a healthy lung. Anyway, the movie scared the hell out of me so I never did smoke. I guess that was the purpose of the film. To SCARE us from smoking. One guy in my class fainted. He was a smoker. Don't know if he quit or not.
I remember those videos!! Also, the drinking and driving videos as well.
Yes, it does!
prayer ping
Prayers are with you.
amen to that! as I get older, there are very few people in this world I would wish this on...
What was the ultimate fate of the guy who had his lung removed? Did he make it?
Second hand smoke, no doubt ....
Well, which guy are you talking about?? I knew of a case in California, where a kid had a lung removed in 87 (he was 6) and wone his first triathalon last year. I dont know. Some have made it, some havent.
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