Steve Jobs' return to Apple linked to liver transplant

[AppleInsider]

While it was never entirely clear what Apple co-founder Steve Jobs would do to recuperate between January and June, a new report maintains that he's had a liver transplant and that his return to work may be gradual at first.

Claiming as always to know people familiar with Apple's inner workings, the Wall Street Journal now says that Jobs had his transplant two months earlier through doctors in Tennessee. Although these are sometimes problematic, the company head is viewed as "recovering well" and on track to resume his usual post in the often-repeated late June timeframe.

When he does set foot on the Cupertino campus in earnest, however, it's now thought that the luminary won't just take up business as usual. Jobs' physicians have reportedly advised him to only work part-time for the first "month or two" until it's certain he can handle a full slate.

As a consequence, Tim Cook, normally the chief operating officer and temporarily handling chief executive duties during Jobs' absence, may now be more involved with Apple's leadership than he has in the past. How much of this will vary from his current acting CEO role isn't clear, but it's hinted he may be placed on Apple's board of directors sometime soon, giving him greater sway over the direction of the Mac maker.

The transplant, if true, could well create a much clearer picture of what triggered Jobs' rapid weight loss in 2008 and his forced break in 2009. Washington University doctor William Hawkins believes that the pancreatic cancer that affected Jobs in 2004, once thought cured, metastasized again in his liver -- the organ most likely to continue supporting that particular form of cancer. About three quarters of all those who recover from the initial pancreatic tumor get that cancer again.

Few opt for a liver transplant, however, as spare organs are rare and there's no guarantee that replacing the cancerous organ will solve the problem. The odds are nonetheless good and again see three quarters of those who pick the transplant option surviving at least five years longer. Tennessee was likely chosen as the waiting list was shorter than in other states and feasible for a man with the income to travel wherever he could get the quickest treatment.

Not surprisingly, confirming any of these assertions proves difficult through Apple's tendency towards secrecy, and especially that of Steve Jobs, who has long expressed frustration with journalists and investors intruding into what he sees as a private matter. None of the hospitals committed to regularly performing liver transplants say they have Jobs as a patient. When asked, Apple spokeswoman Katie Cotton would only echo the company's official statement that Jobs "continues to look forward" to his end-of-June return.

[AmazingApple]

Wishing you a great recovery and looking forward to your return, Steve. All the BEST!!!

[Jerseymac]

Get well soon.

[ChuckD]

Although Steve will recover and return to work soon, the situation is clearly dire in the long term. According to the WSJ, Steve's metastasized cancer treatment will extend his lifespan to no more than 10 years. Despite being pure speculation, this is pretty bad news considering how it was initially referred to as a simple 'chemical imbalance.'

I am deeply saddenned by the news but hope Steve beats the odds and lives on for many, many years to see his kids become of age.

Best wishes!

Chuck

[ascii]

Why doesn't the lifespan return to normal once the cancer is removed? I don't understand.

[DocNo42]

Originally Posted by ascii

Why doesn't the lifespan return to normal once the cancer is removed? I don't understand.

I doubt the issue is solely with the cancer but the organ transplant. It's a constant battle to keep the immune system from rejecting the new donor organ. After a while, the body just can't handle the stress. Some organs last longer then others post-transplant....

[rnp1]

Originally Posted by ascii

Why doesn't the lifespan return to normal once the cancer is removed? I don't understand.

Unfortunately, even after the main group has been excised, there are usually a few cancer cells floating around in the blood until they find a nice place to stay and then they replace that cell structure with mush! We all have a few cells like that, but for some reason, in some of us, the cancer cells find a place to attach and draw nourishment to create havoc!

[bonklers]

Originally Posted by DocNo42

I doubt the issue is solely with the cancer but the organ transplant. It's a constant battle to keep the immune system from rejecting the new donor organ. After a while, the body just can't handle the stress. Some organs last longer then others post-transplant....

i'm sure they'll clone an organ for him, keep details secret, and he'll be around for a long long time.

[rnp1]

Originally Posted by DocNo42

I doubt the issue is solely with the cancer but the organ transplant. It's a constant battle to keep the immune system from rejecting the new donor organ. After a while, the body just can't handle the stress. Some organs last longer then others post-transplant....

Wondering if you are next to get sick? Instead of a new iPhone or Touch, you may wanna give these folks $399 and see what your genetic material contains:
https://www.23andme.com/
Saw these gals on Charlie Rose.

[Pascal007]

Originally Posted by ascii

Why doesn't the lifespan return to normal once the cancer is removed? I don't understand.

Because all it takes is a single cancer cell somewhere else in the body to allow the cancer to continue its progression. And it is more than likely that this may have happened in this case. Chemotherapy is used to try to kill that elusive cell, but the efficacy of chemotherapy is far from being excellent...

By the way all these percentages are based on cohorts of similar patients' evolution. This being a statistical description, it is in no way a prediction of Steve Jobs' fate. He could live longer, but he could also unfortunately live only a few years.

Finally, transplants are in no way a miraculous cure : there is a very real risk of rejection of the liver, even with the 20+ pills a transplanted has to take for the rest of his life (or else the organ will be destroyed as by the body's immune system. The resulting "tug of war" between the immune system and the anti-rejection pills slows the destruction of the organ, but it does not prevent all the stress on the organ's tissues (cells), hence, a transplanted organ does not have an eternal life span. On average, a transplanted organ will last between 7 and 10 years.

[nonstopdesign]

What a crazy week of Apple news! Phew! Get well Steve, we miss you.

[brucep]

Is this a true story ? How could something like this remain hidden ?

9

[kiseki]

I'm skeptical about this "news". If he really did suffer a relapse of his cancer, the last thing he'd want to do would be to get any kind of transplant. Cancer cells are formed in our bodies all the time but fortunately we have immune systems which destroy most of them and protect us.
If you get a transplant and take the required immunosuppressants, that's probably the worst thing for your cancer since you're removing your only innate protection against cancer cells.

Another thing about the liver is that it is one of the few regenerative organs in the body. You can actually remove most of a person's liver and it will grow back. Which means Jobs had such invasive cancer that he needed a liver transplant (instead of just cutting out the diseased parts), and there's no way his doctors would have let cancer progress to that stage without taking action long before.
It makes much more sense to believe his story that it was a metabolic problem and his liver had stopped functioning. In that case, it would make sense to get a transplant and his prognosis, barring side effects from the immunosuppressants should be pretty good.

[MikeGray]

What ever your problems Steve get well soon.

[MacTripper]

Hope to a speedy recovery Steve!


nevermind about what I said about your unsightly vegetable garden on your front lawn, if it brings you peace and well being, then... what the hell!

[Nano_tube]

Poor man.

[Nano_tube]

Originally Posted by kiseki

I'm skeptical about this "news". If he really did suffer a relapse of his cancer, the last thing he'd want to do would be to get any kind of transplant. Cancer cells are formed in our bodies all the time but fortunately we have immune systems which destroy most of them and protect us.
If you get a transplant and take the required immunosuppressants, that's probably the worst thing for your cancer since you're removing your only innate protection against cancer cells.

Another thing about the liver is that it is one of the few regenerative organs in the body. You can actually remove most of a person's liver and it will grow back. Which means Jobs had such invasive cancer that he needed a liver transplant (instead of just cutting out the diseased parts), and there's no way his doctors would have let cancer progress to that stage without taking action long before.
It makes much more sense to believe his story that it was a metabolic problem and his liver had stopped functioning. In that case, it would make sense to get a transplant and his prognosis, barring side effects from the immunosuppressants should be pretty good.

I'm afraid to ask... but how do you know this stuff?

[Molly Jensen]

Originally Posted by Nano_tube

I'm afraid to ask... but how do you know this stuff?

That's easy, he made it up. Most of what he said is incorrect.

[aueua]

Originally Posted by kiseki

It makes much more sense to believe his story that it was a metabolic problem and his liver had stopped functioning. In that case, it would make sense to get a transplant and his prognosis, barring side effects from the immunosuppressants should be pretty good.

Totally agree!
A liver transplant to fight against pancreatic cancer's metastasis is pretty an oncologic nonsense and I guess almost any expert would discourage it.
I urge The Wall Street Journal to find a more reliable medical consultant and/or better review its sources...

All the best Steve!
Aueua!

[DoctorLee]

Given, what I imagine is as good a medical support team as might be available, I will accept the most likely situation as; Steve had a failing organ; the doc's determined a transplant was the best approach; he will be watched and treated and as reported return to Apple as the situation permits.

What we know for sure is that the media will be watching; simpleminded stockholders will panic; but for the rest of us, we will wish him the best and most complete recovery available and allow him as much privacy as is possible.

Counting Steve Jobs out of anything is a poor bet at best!

Press on Steve.

[brucep]

Originally Posted by DoctorLee

Given, what I imagine is as good a medical support team as might be available, I will accept the most likely situation as; Steve had a failing organ; the doc's determined a transplant was the best approach; he will be watched and treated and as reported return to Apple as the situation permits.

What we know for sure is that the media will be watching; simpleminded stockholders will panic; but for the rest of us, we will wish him the best and most complete recovery available and allow him as much privacy as is possible.

Counting Steve Jobs out of anything is a poor bet at best!

Press on Steve.

+1

agreed


9

[honeybums]

Speedy recovery to you.

[sigs21]

The WSJ is so reliable these days.. Who they consult Dr. William Gates Sr. and his Son...

[FloorJack]

Originally Posted by ChuckD

Although Steve will recover and return to work soon, the situation is clearly dire in the long term. According to the WSJ, Steve's metastasized cancer treatment will extend his lifespan to no more than 10 years. Despite being pure speculation, this is pretty bad news considering how it was initially referred to as a simple 'chemical imbalance.'

I am deeply saddenned by the news but hope Steve beats the odds and lives on for many, many years to see his kids become of age.

Best wishes!

Chuck

Actually it didn't say that. What it said was that people with the cancer that Jobs has can live up to 10 years and the efficacy of the transplant is unknown.

Getting a liver transplant to treat a metastasized neuroendocrine tumor is controversial because livers are scarce and the surgery's efficacy as a cure hasn't been proved, Dr. Hawkins added. He said that patients whose tumors have metastasized can live for as many as 10 years without any treatment so it is hard to determine how successful a transplant has been in curing the disease.

[agrothey]

As a GI medical oncologist, I can assure you that a liver transplantation is one of the options to treat a metastatic neuroendocrine cancer of the pancreas. What most people do not realize is that SJ did NOT suffer from a "normal" pancreatic cancer, but from a rare tumor called "islet cell cancer", which is associated with a much better prognosis than pancreatic cancer. These tumors unfortunately commonly metastasize (seed) into the liver - but a liver transplant can cure patients.
The WSJ story is perfectly plausible and explains some of the issues I was wondering about, e.g. the predefined set time frame of SJ's return to work.

[Dorotea]

Originally Posted by kiseki

I'm skeptical about this "news". If he really did suffer a relapse of his cancer, the last thing he'd want to do would be to get any kind of transplant. Cancer cells are formed in our bodies all the time but fortunately we have immune systems which destroy most of them and protect us.
If you get a transplant and take the required immunosuppressants, that's probably the worst thing for your cancer since you're removing your only innate protection against cancer cells.

I have to agree with you. A transplant seems the worst thing to do for a cancer patient. Steroids are used (massive amounts of prednisone) are used to suppress the immune system... over time it shreds the immune system - doesn't seem reasonable for a cancer patient who needs the cancer cells to be destroyed by the immune system.

[brucep]

Originally Posted by Pascal007

Because all it takes is a single cancer cell somewhere else in the body to allow the cancer to continue its progression. And it is more than likely that this may have happened in this case. Chemotherapy is used to try to kill that elusive cell, but the efficacy of chemotherapy is far from being excellent...

B s.

I just finished 8 months of chemo and radition for throat cancer. And dude shut the f up.

A single cancer cell ?? That is not how my cancer progresses. And every cancer is different . And different types of cancer can attack the same place of your body.

So you can't fucking generalize. You have to be specific to that cancer.

No doctor ever found a single cancer cell . They look for clumps of maybe 100 or 500 cells. No tests can show one call and every human alive has at least 20 cancer cells or more at anyone time. It is a problem when they grow and spread and after treatment like my throat cancer, they now look at my chest and head only. It does not jump all over, That's my type of cancer. Some other types of cancers can jump. They are the deadly ones. Pancreatic cancer is maybe the worst or if not one the worst its up there. Steve jobs went thru hell for a long time with his illness .

Chemo is an excellent killer of cancer cells when added with heavy radition. There are some
Non-cancerous cells that after treatment TURN cancerous . Yet they even gave me chemo for those cells too. I was very very very ill from the treatments for 7 months or more , I am still as some people here know still feeble at times . RADITION sucks.

SO you all should shut the fuck up if you don't know specifically steve jobs type of cancer which is pancreatic. And what it entails having pancreatic cancer . Does it spread etc , etc.

My doctors had a great fear of damage to my kidneys . Did this happen to steve ??

If yay GONNA post here about specific cures rates or whatever please be a doctor or a expert or find an expert and get him here. Make sure your accurate .

My heart goes out to steve and his family, and I hope we get the real story soon.




9

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by Molly Jensen

That's easy, he made it up. Most of what he said is incorrect.

Why/how do you say that? Care to elaborate? O/w, why should we believe you?

[Rot'nApple]

Let's wait until the end of June.

Wasn't that when Steve was supposed to return?

Are those rumors of another big product announcement still out there that would be "timed" with Steve's return or is that debunked.

If there is some new Mac announcement, it's probably where Steve will let us know what's been going on firsthand as opposed to the WSJ or some other news source, prior to introducing whatever the rumors have been claiming is out there.

In the meantime, heed your Doctor's advice and take it easy while you are still recuperating and like the rest of the posts here, wishing you well Steve. Wishing you well.

[brucep]

Originally Posted by agrothey

As a GI medical oncologist, I can assure you that a liver transplantation is one of the options to treat a metastatic neuroendocrine cancer of the pancreas. What most people do not realize is that SJ did NOT suffer from a "normal" pancreatic cancer, but from a rare tumor called "islet cell cancer", which is associated with a much better prognosis than pancreatic cancer. These tumors unfortunately commonly metastasize (seed) into the liver - but a liver transplant can cure patients.
The WSJ story is perfectly plausible and explains some of the issues I was wondering about, e.g. the predefined set time frame of SJ's return to work.

Thank you for your post . Could you tell us more ??
and i guess steve's cancer has come back .

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by agrothey

As a GI medical oncologist, I can assure you that a liver transplantation is one of the options to treat a metastatic neuroendocrine cancer of the pancreas. What most people do not realize is that SJ did NOT suffer from a "normal" pancreatic cancer, but from a rare tumor called "islet cell cancer", which is associated with a much better prognosis than pancreatic cancer. These tumors unfortunately commonly metastasize (seed) into the liver - but a liver transplant can cure patients.
The WSJ story is perfectly plausible and explains some of the issues I was wondering about, e.g. the predefined set time frame of SJ's return to work.

That is making more sense. Thanks.

[Redglittercoffin]

Get well soon, Mr Jobs. The tech world isn't the same without you.

[Ireland]

My uncle's liver-transplant went so well it basically gave it a second chance, and now he's full of live again, to a certain extent. These operations can be quite successful, from what I've witnessed.

[hookman]

"According to the WSJ, Steve's metastasized cancer treatment will extend his lifespan to no more than 10 years"

....the journal didn't even come close to saying this. It simply said it's hard to determine if the transplant option will help because people with the same liver condiditon as Jobs typically live > 10 years with NO treatment...thus it's hard to compare the transplant to the no treatment scenario. Doesn't seem as bad as you make it out to be.

this too shall pass Steve, rock on.

[DocNo42]

Originally Posted by Molly Jensen

That's easy, he made it up. Most of what he said is incorrect.

Wow, a nice blanket statement for someone with two posts.

Care to elaborate on your opinion? What he said is spot on so unless you are willing to elaborate, your the one full of it.

[Nano_tube]

Originally Posted by brucep

I just finished 8 months of chemo and radition for throat cancer. And dude shut the f up.

9

brucep, I hope you get over this man. I wish you good health and happiness.
Live long & prosper \V/

[Nano_tube]

Originally Posted by agrothey

As a GI medical oncologist, I can assure you that a liver transplantation is one of the options to treat a metastatic neuroendocrine cancer of the pancreas. What most people do not realize is that SJ did NOT suffer from a "normal" pancreatic cancer, but from a rare tumor called "islet cell cancer", which is associated with a much better prognosis than pancreatic cancer. These tumors unfortunately commonly metastasize (seed) into the liver - but a liver transplant can cure patients.
The WSJ story is perfectly plausible and explains some of the issues I was wondering about, e.g. the predefined set time frame of SJ's return to work.

Thanks for posting.
It now makes more sense.

[DimMok]

Get well SJ.....

[SDW2001]

I have no idea, but I wonder if the liver transplant was not due to the cancer spreading. Perhaps it was another issue...a reaction to treatment or wholly separate?

Secondly, I think Apple is full of shit. If he had a liver transplant and Apple didn't say anything, that's not right. Your CEO, who is described as a "luminary" my major pubs, has a liver transplant and you don't say anything? WTF? The fact is that Steve is wrong...his health is not a private matter. It's quite public because he is the CEO of a publicly traded corporation that depends on him...morseo than probably any other corporation on Earth.

Last...I wish him well. Let's hope he's got many years left.

[macnyc]

Originally Posted by brucep

I just finished 8 months of chemo and radition for throat cancer. And dude shut the f up.

A single cancer cell ?? That is not how my cancer progresses. And every cancer is different . And different types of cancer can attack the same place of your body.

So you can't fucking generalize. You have to be specific to that cancer.

No doctor ever found a single cancer cell . They look for clumps of maybe 100 or 500 cells. No tests can show one call and every human alive has at least 20 cancer cells or more at anyone time. It is a problem when they grow and spread and after treatment like my throat cancer, they now look at my chest and head only. It does not jump all over, That's my type of cancer. Some other types of cancers can jump. They are the deadly ones. Pancreatic cancer is maybe the worst or if not one the worst its up there. Steve jobs went thru hell for a long time with his illness .

Chemo is an excellent killer of cancer cells when added with heavy radition. There are some
Non-cancerous cells that after treatment TURN cancerous . Yet they even gave me chemo for those cells too. I was very very very ill from the treatments for 7 months or more , I am still as some people here know still feeble at times . RADITION sucks.

SO you all should shut the fuck up if you don't know specifically steve jobs type of cancer which is pancreatic. And what it entails having pancreatic cancer . Does it spread etc , etc.

My doctors had a great fear of damage to my kidneys . Did this happen to steve ??

If yay GONNA post here about specific cures rates or whatever please be a doctor or a expert or find an expert and get him here. Make sure your accurate .

My heart goes out to steve and his family, and I hope we get the real story soon.




9

Were you a smoker?