Christopher Hitchens diagnosed with cancer

[Coito ergo sum]

Generally the overall 5-year survival rate for esophageal cancer or esophagus cancer remains approximately 20-25% for all stages. The survival rate also depends on the spread of the disease whether it includes the lymph nodes or not.

Esophageal cancer or esophagus cancer patients without lymph node involvement have a significantly better prognosis and 5-year survival rate compared to patients with involved lymph nodes. Unfortunately patients with Stage IV esophageal cancer or esophagus cancer are associated with a 5-year survival rate of less than 5%.

Hopefully they caught it very early, because if caught in the early stages, the survival rate goes up to 80-90%.

Fight it out, Hitch!

I'm reading Hitch-22, incidentally. Quite a good piece of work.

[Mr Anderson]

I can't see him letting any degenerative illness go the distance, when he decides the time is up he'll do the deed himself. I hope it won't come to that though, he's fun to read amd listen to.

[Animavore]

I'm reading Hitch-22, incidentally. Quite a good piece of work.

Want.

[Bella Fortuna]

I'm reading Hitch-22, incidentally. Quite a good piece of work.

Want.

Me too. It's on my Amazon wish list.

As it has not materialised I'm still wishing.

[Coito ergo sum]

I'm reading Hitch-22, incidentally. Quite a good piece of work.

Want.

Me too. It's on my Amazon wish list.

As it has not materialised I'm still wishing.

Downloaded it to my Barnes & Noble Nook $10. Done.

[Horwood Beer-Master]

If the poor sod kicks the bucket, how long until we start reading reports of his death bed conversion?

I give it 3 hours before the liars for jebus start plying their trade.

Probably starting with his brother.

I did wonder if they are brothers.

Alas, despite the obvious differences, the family resemblances are far to striking to be denied. Peter looks and sounds exactly like Christopher would do if he'd lived most of his life with an iron rod stuck up his backside.

[Animavore]

They debated each other once. Hitch fucking owned him.

[Bella Fortuna]

They debated each other once. Hitch fucking owned him.

Hitchens, or Hitchens?

[Animavore]

They debated each other once. Hitch fucking owned him.

Hitchens, or Hitchens?

Oh. I can see how that could be confusing. It was Hitchens.

[Bella Fortuna]

They debated each other once. Hitch fucking owned him.

Hitchens, or Hitchens?

Oh. I can see how that could be confusing. It was Hitchens.

Thought so.

[maiforpeace]

I'm reading Hitch-22, incidentally. Quite a good piece of work.

Want.

Me too. It's on my Amazon wish list.

As it has not materialised I'm still wishing.

Downloaded it to my Barnes & Noble Nook $10. Done.

The last interview he did right after Hitch-22 was released he said his next book would be about the 10 Commandments.

[Animavore]

I'm reading Hitch-22, incidentally. Quite a good piece of work.

Want.

Me too. It's on my Amazon wish list.

As it has not materialised I'm still wishing.

Downloaded it to my Barnes & Noble Nook $10. Done.

The last interview he did right after Hitch-22 was released he said his next book would be about the 10 Commandments.

[maiforpeace]

Oh, thank you Ani, I hadn't seen that! I just adore that man.

One of the things we talked about when I got to sit down with him for a drink was that he had a dream of retiring and becoming a gentleman viticulturist and vintner, somewhere in California. I really hope he makes it through this so he can realize that dream.

There's only two options for him - and that is he will never drink and smoke again and be lucky enough to survive, or he will die. The reality may be grim.

In general, the prognosis of esophageal cancer is quite poor, because so many patients present with advanced disease: The overall five-year survival rate (5YSR) is less than 5%. Individualized prognosis depends largely on stage. Those with cancer restricted entirely to the esophageal mucosa have about an 80% 5YSR, but submucosal involvement brings this down to less than 50%. Extension into the muscularis propria (muscular layer of the esophageus) has meant a 20% 5YSR and extension to the structures adjacent to the esophagus results in a 7% 5YSR. Patients with distant metastases (who are not candidates for curative surgery) have a less than 3% 5YSR.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esophageal_cancer

[Xamonas Chegwé]

As I said above, a friend of mine is going through exactly the same thing right now. in fact, he started his second course of chemo today.

In his case, the tumour was found early and is operable. About 2 weeks after this course of chemo, they will be cutting out about half of his oesophagus and stretching the stomach upwards to replace it. He is lucky to have the country's foremost expert in this particular operation doing the cutting and his chances are good - not great - but good. He's in the 80-90% 5YSR group.

He was told that if they had found it as soon as 6 months later, it would have been inoperable and almost certainly fatal within a few years. I just hope Hitch was as lucky.

[Pappa]

They debated each other once. Hitch fucking owned him.

That other cunt is on The Big Questions from time to time. I like torturing myself of a Sunday morning with that religious wankery.