AMA president speaks of pancreatic cancer struggle
CHICAGO (AP) - 06/15/08
So did his audience on Saturday, the American Medical
Association. Davis, a doctor of preventive medicine, is the group's
president and he got the bad news eight months into his one-year
term.
Like most of those diagnosed with the disease, Davis' cancer has
spread beyond the pancreas, reducing chances for recovery. Surgery
wasn't an option.
"As a physician, I know the survival statistics for someone
with stage 4 pancreatic cancer," he said. But if the five-year
survival is 5 percent, that's not zero... So, never take away
someone's hope."
In an upbeat, sometimes funny and at moments poignant, emotional
45-minute speech, Davis talked about his life and how it has
changed, both good and bad since his diagnosis. He spoke of his
hopes for the future, his own and that of his fellow doctors and
their patients. And he talked about legacy - his and that of
everyone listening to him.
"So, whether we are ill or well, we should not waste any of
that time before figuring out how to leave our mark on this
planet," he said.
Davis urged his fellow doctors, gathered in Chicago for their
annual meeting, to help patients live healthier lives. He applauded
the AMA for supporting stronger regulation of tobacco and for
raising awareness about people who don't have health insurance. And
he urged the group to press for even more, raising federal taxes on
tobacco and working to avoid Medicare doctor payment cuts.
These are familiar issues for Davis. A native of Chicago who now
lives in East Lansing, Mich., he has spent his career working to
prevent disease and raise awareness about the risks of tobacco. His
agenda as AMA president has included coverage for the uninsured and
promoting health quality and safety.
After his diagnosis, he has still managed to keep a dizzying
pace of meetings and speeches. During one lecture, he walked on a
treadmill to "walk the talk" on prevention of chronic illness
through fitness.
He continues on chemotherapy, an aggressive regimen his doctors
hope will halt the spread of cancer now in his liver. And though
bald, he looks robust. He will turn 52 on Wednesday.
Davis told his listeners of pursuing the "noble cause" of
raising awareness about pancreatic cancer, which afflicts 37,000
Americans a year, and kills 34,000. While it is the fourth leading
cause of cancer death in the nation, "pancreatic cancer research
accounts for less than 2 percent of the National Cancer Institute's
research funding," he said.
At times he was funny as he joked about the positives of a
terrible diagnosis. People keep giving him hats, he said while
slipping a Detroit Red Wings cap on his hairless head. "My son
Connor no longer tells me in the morning that I have wacky hair."
It was in speaking of his family that he choked up. The father
of three sons said he has spent more time over the last four months
with his wife and children.
As he ended his speech, they joined him at the podium for a hug.
The standing ovation he got lasted three minutes.
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