Suddenly Everybody is Jumping on the Cancer Bandwagon

With the recent announcement that Fred Thompson has cancer it marks four presidential candidates that are currently being effected by the disease. Rudy Guiliani and John McCain have both seemingly won their battles and Elizabeth Edwards is fighting a variety of cancers as is current Presidential Press Secretary Tony Snow. Now enter former senator Fred Thompson from Tennessee. The Republican has been considering a run for the White House and in preparation of that announcement he has released details of his personal fight with a lymphoma very much like Joan's version. It is being reported that the Republican was releasing this information to gauge public reaction before deciding to enter the race.

While Sen Thompson has a type called Marginal Zone Lymphoma the disease acts very much like Joan's Follicular Lymphoma. And the reason for this entry is that the similarities in those illnesses cause very similar treatment options. Sen Thompson has some nodes removed, as did Joan. Those nodes revealed a very slow growing low grade cancer, as did Joan's. The Senator waited a couple of months to see what would happen next, as Joan is doing now and when the cancer was still present he began a regimen of a drug called Rituxin. The drug has already been mentioned by Joan's doctor as a possible treatment option in the near future. The Senator was blessed with a complete remission without ever having to receive a chemotherapy session or any further treatments.

“I have had no illness from it, or even any symptoms,” Mr. Thompson said in a statement. “My life expectancy should not be affected.”

"Right now, he has no evidence of disease," said Dr. Bruce D. Cheson, head of hematology in the division of hematology/oncology at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington. Many such patients "can live a normal life span," he said.

About Thompson's consideration of a possible presidential bid, Cheson said: "I would strongly encourage him, if this is what he wants to do, to go ahead with it. His disease and eventual treatment for this disease should not impact on his ability to perform this job."

Some 22 percent of people with the disease have the type of lymphoma that typically follows a benign course, Lichtenfeld said.

Thompson appears to have that type, suggesting that "his outlook is, in fact, excellent," he said.

Thank you Fred Thompson for being forthcoming and to all the candidates touched by this disease we say thanks. There are so many examples of people who survive this disease with absolutely no long term effects on their lives. You all serve as an inspiration to those just beginning their journey.