Friday, July 15, 2011

Chavez and cancer

One should be very careful in discussing or analyzing a patients condition if you don't know the facts,and have never examined the patient.This is especially true when what facts you think you know are coming from a despot who is also the patient.
However,simply based on public statements, Hugo Chavez has a bigger problem than he is letting on.
Cancer of the colon ,especially the rectum and sigmoid rarely present with an abcess.A pelvic abscess is usually the hallmark of a ruptured diverticulitis.A colo-rectal cancer that presents with an absess is usually a sign of a late stage tumor.
Since he has told us that he had 2 operations and it was for cancer, it was obviously not for diverticulitis.
Why the 2 operations? obviously not clear.However, was it to drain an abscess? or to perform a temporary colostomy (pouch) to divert the stool?
If the tumor was totally removed, why the radiotherapy? We have to assume that in any perforated tumor, a high degree of probability exists that both lymph nodes are involved and /or residual tumor/inflammatory mass remains in the pelvis possibly attached to the bladder.
In that case combined therapy might be indicated.
The other problem in a perforated tumor,is the high percentages of lymph node spread which can reach the liver-lungs and even brain.
Depending upon the tharapy chosen qnd the fact that he has already lost 35 pounds( not from weight watchers),he will certainly not be the robust character he was before surgery for some period of time. This could effect the Presidential elections next year.
His survival/morbidity rate would obviously require more precise information.
A Hitler/Ahmedajean / Chavez /Assad and company deserve that which they seek to inflict upon civilized people