BREAKING: Peter Jennings diagnosed with lung cancer

Heard this on the radio...just found a link.



-wildflower

P.S. Thanks so much to everyone who helped with searching for links and reporting what you saw on TV news. I apologize, I shouldn't have posted on this before I had a link.

there are quite a few people who get lc without smoking

Damn... I hope Peter can lick this...:(

..spent half his life inside smoke filled bars which was about as bad.

isn't dead

we all know that

And Peter Jennings was a heavy smoker.

in the old days (remember then they kept the camera running?) He actually used a cigarette holder...found it such an affectation

from getting stained.

I used to use one in college when I was typing papers. You can keep your smoke handy and going while you're typing, and the smoke doesn't drift up into your eyes and nose.

Years back, smoking was closely associated with being a reporter. Edward R. Murrow died of Lung Cancer, and you see him smoking in every old news film

do you ask WAS HE FAT? DID HE EXERCISE?

but relapsed during 9-11

He quit 20 years ago but started smoking again during 9/11

I had no idea.

According to the news articles he quit a year or two ago.

How old is he? Anyone know?

I don't always agree with him, but I really hope he fights this and recovers.

Reno tv channel's owner's son as news anchor. follow that? Broke his heart..when she was offered national job...def slept her way to the top imo.

He was family friend...have never liked her since then.

...but doesn't she typically sub for Jennings anyway? (So does Gibson, I think...)

Damn! I grew up with Peter Jennings. Whenever things seems to be really scary, I've always found his voice to be calming.

silenced?

Brokaw and Rather were replaced by Repug-friendly anchors...

Bob Schieffer is, thank goodness, only an "interim" anchor (according to CBS.) When it comes to getting around political spin, Schieffer seems about as curious as a dead snail.

anchor.

My guess is that they will replace him with two anchors, both younger.

Definitely a changing of the guard taking place, whether by accident or by design.

in fact that kind of "friendship" is illegal in seven states :evilgrin:

he would be a horrible choice. anyways i don't think he has what Jennings, Rather, and Brokaw have that made them appealing and got people to watch them for years. he would probably lose ratings by large amounts. that guy they replaced Brokaw kind of has it even though i don't like him personally. but not Gibson.

there are too many whores in big news these days. a good replacement for these guys would probably have to be someone who isn't very well known when chosen but who through time develops a trust with viewers.

The neo-cons forced him to smoke cigarettes. I'll bet that they had a liberal media smoking promotion plan in operation.

http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/42189.htm

ABC News anchorman Peter Jennings — the last of the Big Three still on the air — was feeling under the weather and stayed home.

A spokeswoman for the network said he may be in Rome in time for live coverage of the pontiff's funeral later this week.

Maybe that's sparked a rumour.

to him and his family. He has always been a comfort in times of tragedy!

Loved how he covered the advent of the year 2000 across the globe - it was an unexpected treat!

<<NBC‘s Brian Williams was the only one of the Big Three U.S. broadcast anchors ready to go on air Saturday when the official word came down. ABC‘s Peter Jennings, who the network said has been ill this week, anchored "World News Tonight" but left Bob Woodruff to anchor its coverage Saturday afternoon.>>

http://www.obviousnews.com/breakingnews/stories/obviousnews-553139.html

What a shame. I met Jennings at Tower Video about two decades ago, he was a gracious and inquisitive guy.

at a NY restaurant "L'Artiste Affaime" or something like that (means Starving Artist but no starving artist could afford it). I don't know if the restaurant is still there, it was right off Central Park and supposedly a favorite of his.
And he's VERy tall.

http://www.cafenyc.com/cafedesartistes/html/index2.htm

eom

comes from ABC.

Damn damn damn. I have always enjoyed Peter Jennings' ABC News show.

:kick:

http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/newsfinder/pulseone.asp?dateid=38447.475531331-833886382&siteID=mktw&scid=0&doctype=806&

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Peter Jennings, the chief ABC News anchorman for more than 20 years, has been diagnosed with lung cancer and will begin outpatient treatment next week, according to media reports Tuesday. ABC is owned by the Walt Disney Co (DIS) .

:(

Peter Jennings on Fox News -- Who'd believe that he's crazier than Dan Rather?

Media Whores Online ABC's Peter Jennings claims not to recognize the embarrassing right-wing bias of Faux.
But even a high school dropout like Jennings could easily recognize Faux's unfairness and imbalance, so it's more likely he's just pandering like any other whore. Maybe he and Tom Brokaw are battling for the leftover right-wing audience Dan Rather leaves them after drawing most of the normal American viewers.
From the Boston Globe:
said he watches Fox News Channel anchor and former ABC colleague Brit Hume's ''program when I can, and I don't see the bias there.''
''Those of us who went into journalism in the '50s or '60s, it was sort of a liberal thing to do. Save the world,'' he said. ''Conservative voices in the US have not been as present as they might have been and should have been in the media.''
http://www.adammagazine.com/2001/07/peter-jennings-on-fox-news-whod.html

admit the bias to the network he is employed with and that would never happen. None of them admit anything until long after they are retired. Irrespective of admissions, I'm saddened by his cancer diagnosis. My best wishes and strongest healing vibes are being sent his way. Praying the universe will give him the strength for the road ahead.

I'm just not very familiar with the disease. Sounds bad.

From a 2000 study reported at http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/954964723.html :

Lung Cancer Patients Show Significant Survival Rate

Dutch researchers have reported a significant 41 percent five-year overall survival rate among 2,263 patients who had surgery for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

...

"Lung cancer staging... is an important aid to determine the clinical course of the patient and the success of treatment," added Dr. van den Bosch. "It is based on the anatomic extent of the disease as defined by the grade of the primary tumor, any regional lymph node involvement, and whether distant disease is present."

According to the investigators, using the 1997 staging criteria, there were significant differences in survival between tumor stages 1A (63 five-year survivors) and 1B (46 five-year survivors); IIA (52 five-year survivors) and IIB (33 five-year survivors), and IIIA (19 five-year survivors).

...

According to the researchers, survival was significantly better in patients who had squamous cell lung carcinoma compared with patients who had non-squamous cell carcinoma, based on one estimate of disease extent from pathologic examination of resected specimens. They also pointed out that until four years after surgery age at operation did not influence survival, and after five years, patients over age 65 had a significantly lower survival rate.

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/954964723.html

Particularly in how they treat it. It does not say which cancer he might have and it is also somewhat different for each person but generally there are 3 types - mesothelioma which is a puckering of the outside of the lung is generally related to asbestos exposure and is very rare. The other types are generally referred to as small-cell carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Small cell is most frequently seen in smokers and is generally treated with either radiation or chemotherapy as opposed to surgery, depending on the health of the patient and extent of the cancer. Small cell is far more aggressive and fast growing then NSCLC which is why chemotherapy is preferred. Chemo attacks cells as they are dividing so it is most effective for this type of cancer. The problem is that it has a tenancy to move around and is very hard to detect (which is why radiation is less preferable for this type of cancer accept where there are noticeable areas to attack).

The survival rates for small cell are much lower then NSCLC.

From this report, it does not sound like they were planning surgery. Based on that, I'd guess that it is likely he was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma. However, they may not even know by now.

The positive of having small-cell is that chemo is much more likely to work on it.

Here is the best web site I think there is about Lung Cancer which helped me understand the disease when my mother was diagnosed 2 years ago:

The Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy, Support and Education
<http://www.alcase.org/>

Lung cancer is top cancer killer for both men and women in the United States. Every year, it claims more lives than breast, colon and prostate cancer combined. ALCASE calls it the silent killer and the ribbon for it is actually clear. On their site they have a petition that you can send to call on the President of the United States and members of Congress to greatly increase funding for (it is under Advocacy):

Medical research for early detection and curative treatment for lung cancer
Education and support for people diagnosed with lung cancer

After experiencing a close family member going through this disease, I see some clues that make it sound like it is in a late stage:

1) He was a long-time smoker who quit several years ago. It seems like a contradiction, but frequently people diagnosed with lung cancer had quit smoking a year or two before the diagnosis. This may be because they start to feel more discomfort from smoking and are more motivated to quit, without recognizing that the discomfort stems from the cancer.
2) He is continuing to work. Cancer treatments are physically demanding, and if he were at a stage where it was beatable, I suspect he would take a leave of absence so he could concentrate on his physical recovery.
3) He has been experiencing symptoms in the last few months. With lung cancer, once symptoms appear it is usually too far advanced to successfully treat.
4) His email makes no optimistic mention of a positive outcome. This sentence sounds particularly bleak: "I am sure I will learn from them how to cope with the facts of life that none of us anticipated."

I hope I'm wrong, but lung cancer almost always has a bleak outcome.

I fear you are right.

That is a nasty, nasty and tough disease.

He was a non smoker, but succumbed to the disease exactly one year to the day of being diagnosed. Chemo only destroyed his kidneys. He was 65.

It was so incredibly fast growing...
he was dead within two months of having found it.
I still mourn this man who was like a father to me.

I would not wish this disease on my worst enemy.

Yeah, it's better than it use to be, but that isn't saying much. Surgery and radiation (slash and burn) take a toll. Some new chemos show promise, but it is still a poor prognosis.

if need be, since he'll be quitting Nightline.

He's the only news anchor I watch regularly.

Lung cancer treatment is difficult under any circumstance; getting treated while trying to work will be a monumental; task.

So sad!

didn't know it was this serious, though. How frightening.

(Jennngs) for not being in Rome to report on the Pope.

In fact, Idiot should Imus's title, like Mr. or Dr.

FUCK YOU Don. Take that foot and shove it down your throat.

I so hope he eats it tomorrow...

They should have taken him off the air years ago.

He was the only mainstream journalist who dared to suggest that chimpie bunnypants' behavior after 9/11 was not Presidential.

of liver cancer back in the days when I worked at a local ABC news affiliate news operation and when subsequently the young Peter Jennings took over for him then. It was quite a shock to us working there at the time. Now it feels like a lot is coming full circle now on me many years with this happening, the other deaths we've had recently, and my own father looking at his last days now too. Man the news has changed a lot since I worked in it too!

Hoping that the next ABC anchor (if and when Jennings steps down) can look to start restoring the credibility of mainstream news media again, but I'm not holding my breath.

ABC News' chief White House correspondent

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=127239

They seem to be grooming him to take that position.

to hear this...Jennings is one of the only professionals left. I hope he will recover, I wish him all the best.

were fact in the Clinton investigation. I bet Clinton gets the last laugh on this.

I don't think Clinton is crass like that at all. The only person I've heard him speak of in an unforgiving tone is Starr himself.

Brokaw something like "don't you go there'in a clearly angered tone, as I listened and watched, in refernece to the reporting he and others on network news had done about anything Ken Star said. And while Clinton is to nice to publicly say anything about Jennings cancer and surely understands the threat to ones life this brings with it, he could have the last laugh, as crass as that sounds. Network news fell down on the job and Clinton pointed this out publicly where it relates to himself and Ken Star.

But you're confusing your anchormen. The interview Clinton did was with Peter Jennings, not Tom Brokaw. And Clinton's anger came after he claimed to not care what historians thought of his presidency and Jenning's challenged that statement, as it was obvious that he did care quite a bit how history regards his presidency.

I watched that interview and I thought both men did their jobs marvelously. You can see it again here: http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=260445&page=1

his job as well as the others, then and now.

suicide and none of them would do it, jmho.

:shrug:

next to Jim Lehrer and maybe Jon Stewart.

This is really sad.

Get well soon, Peter.

But it also sucks for the news as well.

Jennings is the last guy who has the clout to tell the suits to shove it if he wants to report a story about their bosses, advertisers, whatever. Now it looks like they can't wait to retire him and replace him with longtime RW stooge Charlie Gibson. :puke:

Hey, it could've been worse. Can you imagine "ABC World News Tonight with John Stossel"?! :puke: :puke: :puke:

I feel bad.

I watch him every night -- I had observed that he has been looking unwell for some time, and seemed tired, which is very unusual for this strongly driven man. He also seemed to have given up on educating Americans.... I was struck, finally, at how bad he looked when he appeared on the Daily Show, and I had suspicions about his state of health.

It is a terrible blow to receive news like this, and it is to his credit that he is facing this challenge with courage and optimism.

I find it troubling that, even though he has been unwell for some time now, that he was only diagnosed yesterday. Surely he has access to the best health care on the planet (me, I'd have to consider suicide as to not bankrupt my family) -- and the most ready explanation is that he is such a driven man that he didn't take the time to seek medical attention, and was hoping, like many who feel unwell, that he would just snap out of it. Let this be a warning to all of us Type A's to take time out for ourselves....

I think he is extremely brave to even consider continuing his extremely demanding job when undergoing chemoptherapy. It is a testimony to his devotion to his job. I pray that it goes well for him

Peter Jennings is the only news guy I admire and respect in equal parts.

I hope he licks it--I'm not looking forward to John Stossel reading the ABC news!! :scared:

Hope I quit in time...
Sucky news, Peter.

I'm very sorry to hear this for him and his family.

He is always taking shots at the stupid things the government does, whether it be Republican or Democrat lead. Plus on 9/11 he called Osama Bin Laden a son-of-a-bitch on air . :P

ABC News: Peter Jennings Has Lung Cancer

1 minute ago Television - AP


By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

NEW YORK - Peter Jennings, the chief ABC News anchorman for more than 20 years, has been diagnosed with lung cancer and will begin outpatient treatment next week, the network said Tuesday.

Jennings, 66, told ABC News staff members of his diagnosis Tuesday morning and said he will continue to anchor the broadcast when he feels up to it as he begins chemotherapy.


He last anchored "World News Tonight" Friday and was too ill to work Saturday during the network's special report on Pope John Paul II's death.


"There will be good days and bad, which means some days I may be cranky and some days really cranky," he told ABC News employees in an e-mail.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=494&e=1&u=/ap/tv_jennings_cancer

At least he's trying to maintain a sense of humor about it. He should be grateful that he'll have the best medical care on earth available to him. Sure wish that care had been available to my friend who died last year of lung cancer and left 2 small childen behind.

could this be from Depleted Uranium???

I lost a good friend to that, and it's such a horrible cancer. She got incredible care, and they still lost her. I'm so sorry he's going through that. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

...I hope I did it in time. Anybody trying to or wanting to quit, if you'd like to email or be directed to sites or information that can help in the process, just PM me here.

www.cafepress.com/blackoutbush

Lots of people have lung cancer. Especially people who were told in Southern Manhattan to go 'bout their bidness after 9/11. Where's the outrage over that?

I don't wish cancer on anyone either- but perhaps Karma can indeed be a bitch sometimes.

I feel for Jennings & his family, but they are way down the list- he has plenty of money & support- unlike the Dead Troops- or the 9-11 cancer victims you mentioned.

Get well soon, Pete- then perhaps with your new lease on life, you can start reporting the truth.

because someone,somewhere will always have it worse. I hope you're not that heartless in real life.

I just don't see why it needs to be a major headline that a talking head has a disease. Lots of people get diseases all the time. See the silliness of it all?

For example, there was a big hullabaloo on that September day a few years ago. But guess what? McDonald's, Arby's and Taco Bell probably kill a few hundred thousand people a year, and not a peep is said. But 3,000 in a few buildings, and we send an army halfway around the globe (which ends up resulting in a whole lotta nothing).

Bottom line -- who really cares how you die?

Its sad that you perpetrate being some kind of humanitarian but you pick and choose who you allow yourself to feel sympathy for.

That's terrible. The poor man.

Bake

I have had two friends die of lung cancer and they both stopped smoking late in their smoking career. This is not a good sign for Peter. My two friends suffered but in different ways. One had the surgery, a lobe of hers was removed. It was a devastating surgery. I have to wonder if it was an advisable stragegy. She was 66 a the time. She had a wonderful remission and went to Israel during Passover. But the cancer returned so horribly a few months later and she was dead after a few weeks in Hospice.

My other friend had a great remission but died anyway a couple of years after diagnosis. She had not had lung surgery (which was a mercy). She died after a wonderful remission. Still, it was a sad thing.

I commented above that i had wondered about his health for months, as he seemed to be showing signs of serious illness.

Seeing him tonight -- professional as usual -- but barely able to speak, and gasping for breath in between sentences -- and I was devastated. Yes, i too know all too many people who have faced this cancer or other serious respiratory disease, and it drives me crazy to see anyone go through this.

Perfect Peter was so vulnerable tonight -- he is not only facing an early end to his life, but, he was very open about his apprehension about going through chemotherapy -- "When will my hair fall out"? That just killed me....

How he can even CONSIDER continuing in the incredibly difficult job of network anchor during his treatment is amazing. He loves his job more than any of us (except the most extreme Type A's) can imagine, and he may even envision wising people up by being open about his own experience with illness.

Anyone who is kicking him now can kiss my ass.

He always sounded like he was forcing each word out and not getting enough breath. I hope he comes through this thing well enough; I smoked cigarettes for ten years and quit seven years ago. I still go to smoky bars (in Japan you can't avoid 2nd hand smoke) and have developed asthma from the bad air here. Lung disease in my old age is probably my worst fear!:scared:

He was often quite "nasal" too. Years now....

I posted above that I guessed that it was not bad doctors -- but Mr Jennings being too much of a Type A to admit he was not feeling well periodically and hoping it would pass at some point while he lived his busy life instead of seeing his doctor.

As someone with a chronic cough these past 15 years, this makes me go GULP! too.

to smoky bars?:hi:

:P B-)

he was very good reporting on important things. i don't agree with him on everything or with everything he did. but overall he was one of the best reporters there is. especially on big breaking news type things.

Despite his antics with FGox, including that memorable incident with Michael Moore, I still respect Peter Jennings. His was the broadcast I watched on the evening of September 11. I know some had complaints about allegedly insensitive remarks about Arab-Americans made during said broadcast, but I genuinely didn't see him say anything offensive. I will always remember getting the news from a composed, professional anchor that night. I really hope his treatments are as successful as they can be.

I hope this story inspires him to get checked out for it. X-ray should reveal any masses or unusual findings related to lung cancer.

Doctors (with good reason) won't do a bronchoscopy without appropiate X-Ray findings and history if they suspect Lung Cancer.

While we're at it, I hope Dennis Leary gets checked out after hearing this too.

I really hope Peter Jennings pulls through, we'll be praying for him.

and weed is illegal, wow.