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Steve Jobs Undergoes Cancer Surgery

Zycom writes "Reuters reports that doctors successfully removed a cancerous tumor from the pancreas of Apple CEO Steve Jobs. In an e-mail he sent out from his hospital bed after the surgery he explained the disease, saying, "I had a very rare form of pancreatic cancer called an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor, which represents about 1 percent of the total cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed each year, and can be cured by surgical removal if diagnosed in time (mine was)." He will not need to have any chemotherapy or radiation therapy and has an excellent prognosis. While he is recuperating, Tim Cook, head of worldwide sales and operations, will run the company."

48 of 413 comments (clear)

  1. Alrighty then! by erick99 · · Score: 5, Funny
    Jobs was informed, prior to surgery, that there were no user serviceable parts within his pancreas but he could have his pancreas refurbished/rebuilt for a reasonable fee.

    Cheers!

    Erick

    --
    http://www.busyweather.com/
    1. Re:Alrighty then! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's Apple alright. He couldn't go with the standard pancreatic cancer, instead opting for the proprietary form.

    2. Re:Alrighty then! by EverDense · · Score: 5, Funny

      I have a prediction:

      Bill Gates will get cancer in about 10 years time.
      He will then file a slew of patents, like he was
      the first head of a major computing corporation
      to ever have it.

      All the Apple-ites will then point out that Steve
      Jobs had cancer, 10 years before Bill Gates.

      The more historical pedantic will then point out
      that the head of Xerox had cancer back in the 70s.

      --
      http://jesus.everdense.com/
    3. Re:Alrighty then! by SuperBanana · · Score: 4, Informative
      Jobs was informed, prior to surgery, that there were no user serviceable parts within his pancreas but he could have his pancreas refurbished/rebuilt for a reasonable fee.

      Not quite- his warranty covers everything, except that little bit of his pancreas.

      (I discovered a few weeks ago that the little flippy part of my power adapter..duck-something is what the guy at the store called it... is not covered by warranty, supposedly. Probably because they break like crazy. 3-goddam-thousand-dollar laptop and they want to charge me $20 for the little flippy power plug bit).

    4. Re:Alrighty then! by stuffman64 · · Score: 5, Informative

      The most ironic thing about this, is that it is at least partially true. Former Xerox CEO David T. Kearns was diagnosed with sinus cancer in 1992.

      For those that don't know, Kearns was they guy in charge in the 80s during Xerox's turnaround.

      --
      --- At my sig, unleash hell.
  2. Virex 7.2 caught it. by SYFer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Your virus definitions (DAT files) were last updated June 09, 2004, and may be out of date. Please download and install new ones as soon as possible.

    Your virus definitions were last updated on July 21, 2004, and appear to be up to date.

    Cleaning Scan started at 2004-08-01 20:04:43 -0700Scanning /Users/steve/pancreas/*
    Scanning file /Users/steve/pancreas/cells.org...

    Summary report on /Users/steve/pancreas/*
    File(s)
    Total files: ... 50
    Clean: ... 49
    Not scanned: ... 0
    Cleaned: ... 1

    Congratulations, Steve jobs! Huzzah! LiveSTRONG!

    --
    "...all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness..." yada yada
    1. Re:Virex 7.2 caught it. by SYFer · · Score: 4, Informative

      Uh, sorry to double up, but BTW: LIVESTRONG is Lance Armstrong's Cancer Survivor non-profit. That yellow armband that you see on John Kerry's wrist--it's related to this. If you are a MAC (couldn't resist) fanboi, please give a few bucks in Steve's name.

      --
      "...all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness..." yada yada
  3. Nothing like cancer... by nmoog · · Score: 5, Funny

    To keep the "funny" posts away.

  4. If I were the surgeon... by TiMac · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...I don't think I'd be able to resist the temptation to say "By the way, I'm a hardcore Windows fan" right as he went under anesthesia. Then tell him the truth when he came back around.

    --

    1. Re:If I were the surgeon... by TiMac · · Score: 5, Insightful

      All kidding aside, I'm more than glad he's going to be okay. He's done more for the computer industry than most.

      --

  5. RDF by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I guess too much RDF causes cancer....

  6. All Jokes Aside by orion024 · · Score: 4, Informative

    I'm glad all is going well for him. He's lucky he fell into that rare 1%. Pancreatic cancer is one of the more deadly types of cancer.

  7. I Wonder... by Op7imus_Prim3 · · Score: 4, Funny

    was the operation covered under Applecare?

  8. What!? by xpurple · · Score: 5, Funny

    You mean he's not immortal!?

    --
    http://www.xpurple.com
    1. Re:What!? by Shky · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well quite clearly he is.

      --
      CC Licensed Serialized Story and Podcast: Ingenioustries
  9. A link to his letter by ShallowThroat · · Score: 5, Informative
    --
    The "Insert Quote Here" line is almost as predictable as inserting an actual quote.
    1. Re:A link to his letter by daviddennis · · Score: 4, Funny

      I wish Steve all the best, but I had to laugh at this line at the end of his letter:

      PS: I'm sending this from my hospital bed using my 17-inch PowerBook and an Airport Express.

      That's our Steve, always promoting his products!

      Of course that doesn't mean they're not great, and he doesn't have every right to do so, because they is and he does. But somehow I had to laugh, perhaps at his resiliance more than anything else. Life goes on, right?

      D

  10. cancerous tumor? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Reuters reports that doctors successfully removed a cancerous tumor from the pancreas of Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

    They called it Microsoft.

    Yeah, yeah, cancer isn't funny. But karma whoring overcomes all.

  11. Re:No offense ... by telstar · · Score: 5, Insightful
    "But why slashdot of all places ?"
    • Simple as this ... no Steve Jobs ... no Apple computers ... no iMac, iCal, iPod, iBook ... you get the picture. He's one of the men that continues to shape the industry ... so when he goes under the knife, people tend to take notice.

  12. Double-take by mikeophile · · Score: 5, Funny

    While he is recuperating, Tim Cook, head of worldwide sales and operations, will run the company.

    Am I the only one who read the word "run" as "ruin" on first read?

  13. Seriously, folks by justin_saunders · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is a good time to reflect on our own mortality.

    For all the whining, posing, Microsoft/Apple/Linux bashing we do; for all the work related stress we put up with and all the missed opportunities to spend time with loved ones; we only have a limited time on Earth.

    The most important thing is....
    ..eh who cares. I JUST WANNA PLAY DOOM 3.

    And get well Steve. Take the time off to think about how great a colour iPod with bluetooth would be.

    cheers,
    Justin.

    --

    "My cat's breath smells like cat food." - The Tao of Ralph Wiggum.
  14. Oh, and one more thing... by tm2b · · Score: 4, Funny

    I find it interesting the way it was all handled, outside of stock trading hours.

    I wonder if his doctor had a dark enough sense of humor to say something like,
    "Well, we got your test results back. Your liver is fine, your heart is great, and your pulmonary health is excellent.
    Oh, and one more thing..."

    Great to hear he'll be fine.

    --
    "It is our blasphemy which has made us great, and will sustain us, and which the gods secretly admire in us." - Zelazny
  15. Well You Know What They Say.... by Snagle · · Score: 5, Funny

    An apple a day keeps the cancer away.....oh....guess not.

    Get well soon steve

  16. rumor sites by SuperBanana · · Score: 4, Funny
    Reuters reports that doctors successfully removed a cancerous tumor from the pancreas of Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

    Thus dispelling rumors circulating for days (on MacOSRumors et al) that Steve was:

    • Getting his penis enlarged
    • undergoing liposuction
    • having a gender-change operation (both sexes, for compatibility)
    • having breast implants installed

    ....and of course, various other unsubstantiated rumors not worth mentioning (everyone figured out the bionic legs were bogus right away).

  17. Jobs used the wrong hospital by green+pizza · · Score: 4, Funny

    Jobs should have had these folks work on his pancreas, he would have saved a bundle!

    http://www.ipodbattery.com/

  18. Re:Steve is now a Type-1 Diabetic :-( by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Not really, you cannot remove all of the beta cells (the ones that produce insulin) in a pancreas w/o removing the entire thing.

    They just took out a tumor.

  19. Does Jobs' have a successor? by micron · · Score: 4, Interesting

    First, I am an Apple fan. Go Steve Go!

    As a shareholder, and considering that Apple is a public company, does Jobs have a successor?

    Case and point: We all saw what happened last time Steve left. He came back and essentially saved the company from destruction. He was quoted as saying something along the lines of "I am not going to let someone wreck this company again".

    From what I see, Apple = Steve. Apple's success lies in Steve's hands, or more to the point, as goes Jobs, goes Apple.

    Does anyone have insight on this? What happens if something happens and Steve is not at the helm any more? Does Apple die with him?

  20. Medical Information by cytoman · · Score: 5, Informative
    I got this from http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/000393.htm Pancreatic islet cell tumor

    Overview

    Definition:
    A pancreatic islet cell tumor is an uncommon tumor of the pancreas that arises from a distinct type of cell in the pancreas, the islet cell. Normally, islet cells produce insulin and other hormones, and islet cell tumors can also produce hormones.

    Alternative Names:
    Islet cell tumors; Islet of Langerhans tumor; Neuroendocrine tumors

    Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

    In the normal pancreas, cells called islet cells produce hormones that regulate a variety of bodily functions, such as blood sugar level and the production of stomach acid.

    Tumors that arise from islet cells of the pancreas can also produce a variety of hormones, though some do not. Although islet cells produce many different hormones, most tumors secrete only one specific hormone that leads to specific symptoms. Pancreatic islet cell tumors can be benign or malignant (cancerous).

    Islet cell tumors include insulinomas, glucagonomas, and gastrinomas (Zollinger-Ellison syndrome). A family history of multiple endocrine neoplasia, type I (MEN I) is a risk factor for the development of islet cell tumors.

    Symptoms:
    * Sweating
    * Tremor
    * Rapid heart rate
    * Anxiety
    * Hunger
    * Dizziness
    * Headache
    * Clouding of vision
    * Confusion
    * Behavioral changes
    * Convulsions
    * Loss of consciousness
    * Skin rash that migrates on the face, abdomen, perineum, buttocks, or lower extremities
    o May be crusty and scaly
    o May have raised lesions filled with clear fluid or pus
    * Inflamed mouth and tongue
    * Weight loss
    * Weight gain (unintentional)
    * Peptic ulcer pain
    * Vomiting blood
    * Diarrhea
    * Abdominal pain

    Note: The symptoms depend upon the type of tumor and the hormone produced.

    Signs and tests:
    The type of tests performed may vary depending upon the symptoms associated with the condition. Some of the following abnormalities may be detected on testing:

    * elevated serum glucagon level
    * an abdominal CT scan may reveal a pancreatic tumor (sometimes the tumor may be too small to see with a CT scan)
    * elevated fasting glucose level
    * abnormal glucose tolerance test
    * catheterization of the pancreas to show high hormone level in the veins (this involves putting a wire into a blood vessel and taking blood out for measurements)
    * MRI of abdomen to show pancreatic tumor (MRI can sometimes see smaller tumors than those seen with a CT scan)
    * elevated serum insulin level
    * elevated serum insulin C-peptide
    * low fasting glucose level
    * increased gastrin level
    * positive secretin stimulation test for pancreas
    * positive calcium infusion test

    Treatment:
    Treatment will depend upon the type of tumor discovered and whether the tumor is benign or malignant. Malignant tumors spread to other organs, grow aggressively, and may not be treatable. In general, tumors are removed surgically, if possible.

    If malignant cancerous cells spread (metastasize) to the liver, a portion of the liver may also be removed, if possible. If the cancer is widespread, various forms of chemotherapy may be used to shrink the tumors.

    If the abnormal production of hormones is causing problems, medications may be given to counteract their effects. For example, the overproduction of gastrin in the case of gastrinomas results in oversecretion of acid in the stomach, and medications that block acid secretion can be taken to reduce symptoms.

    Expectations (prognosis):
    Patients may be cured if tumors are surgically removed before they have spread to other organs. If tumors are malignant, chemotherapy may be used, but is usually unsuccessful at cur

  21. Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment of such tumors by a-aiyar · · Score: 5, Informative
    There has been a lot of speculation about how Steve Jobs' cancer was diagnosed, and whether he has annuals CT scans or MRIs.

    I don't know if he does, but the neuroendocrine tumor in his islet cells would have affected insulin production which in turn would have caused symptoms such as:

    • intense sweating, anxiety, hunger
    • tremor, rapid heart rate
    • dizziness, obscured vision
    • rapid fluctuations in weight
    • diarrhea, abdominal pain, possible vomiting of blood

    Steve's doctors would have tested for a number of things including:

    • elevated serum glucagon
    • elevated fasting glucose levels, and high glucose tolerance
    • elevated levels of serum insulin
    • possibly increased levels of gastrin (which would cause the increased hunger)

    They would have have then ordered abdominal MRI scans, because these tumors (in the Islet of Langerhans) would likely be too small to see by CT scans). If the MRIs were positive, surgery would be next.

    If the tumor had metastasized, a portion of the liver would have also been removed, and chemotherapy would have been used. As that appears not to be the case, Steve's tumor is likely a pre-malignant lesion.

  22. haha what? by vena · · Score: 4, Funny

    PS: I'm sending this from my hospital bed using my 17-inch PowerBook and an Airport Express.

    dude's in the hospital and still manages a plug. bravo, mate.

  23. Disgusting by MacOSXHead · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I am aghast at the some of the remarks to this news.

    First of all, Steve is a father to several children and is sick with a serious illness. This alone should cause you to some show sort of decency in your remarks.

    I have a nephew who is fighting Leukemia. When you visit someone you know or who is a member of your family with cancer, it is hardly funny.

    The Slashdot community may not respect Steve Jobs for what he did for modern computing. That is their ignorance. I just cannot understand the callousness of some people who poke fun other's tragedies.

    I wish S.J. a speedy recovery, foremost for his family. I do not know him, but I know the result of his imagination. We should all strive to have that impact on the world.

    1. Re:Disgusting by aluminumcube · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Having been an EMT and having had a couple of family members suffer through various forms of cancer, let me give you a little piece of advice- humor is the glue that keeps people alive.

      I have yet to see a single comment that wished Steve harm or anything less then a full recovery. If someone had said something along those lines, it would be crossing the line into "Asshole Land," but surfing at +2 carma, I have seen nothing like that.

      Otherwise, lighten up. Cancer jokes are funny and the people that laugh at them the hardest are usually people who have/had it.

    2. Re:Disgusting by tekunokurato · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm a 22 year old cancer survivor and I don't need to say anything more than this: Laughter is the ONLY fucking way to get through this stuff.

    3. Re:Disgusting by Idarubicin · · Score: 4, Insightful
      I am aghast at the some of the remarks to this news.

      In general, the remarks I have seen have been respectful of Steve's condition. Yes, some have shown a sense of humour, and some have taken a few shots at Apple's warranty plans. It should be noted that Steve has an excellent prognosis. Non-metastatic cancer, well localized and readily excised. People would be more circumspect if the outcome were more in doubt.

      Somber, humourless expressions of support are all well and good for politicians, and they're fine from close friends and family--in moderation.

      From anybody else, come on. For people who are ill, the last thing they need are folks moping morosely around their hospital bed acting like they're already dead. Steve expects to be all right, and he's apparently quite well enough to be plugging the Powerbook and AirPort from his bed. Yes, he has cancer. Yes, he's having surgery. It's more serious than a tonsillectomy, but easier than a coronary artery bypass graft. For that matter, it will probably be done laparascopically, so it's less traumatic than, say, a C-section.

      The problem is that word 'cancer'. It seems to have the same magical effect as 'terrorism'. The words are the ultimate trump cards in medicine and politics, respectively. Hear either one, and you're supposed to sit in stony, respectful, mournful silence.

      Damn it, get real! These people are our friends and family. Should we stop laughing with them just because they're ill? Treat them differently? Shy away from smiling around them? Suck the fun out of their lives because joy, and humour, and laughter are only for the healthy?

      In case some dumbass wants to spout off on my 'right' to have an opinion on this--yes, I have some experience with cancer. My best friend's mother passed away from a very aggressive breast cancer. My great uncle is pushing eighty after surviving a bout with lung cancer. I do cancer research for a living, in a large research and teaching hospital. Oh, and there seems to be a tendency towards Alzheimer's in my family, which is a really scary way to go.

      I feel for the parent poster's nephew, and everyone who is facing cancer. It is scary, and it isn't funny. What I see here on Slashdot, though, it not people laughing at Jobs' cancer. I see people laughing with Jobs, because he's going to beat cancer. I see people laughing at Jobs for the same reasons they always have, and it's a taste of normality. I see people laughing at Apple, because it's friendly ribbing that Jobs is used to. He's one of the geek family; he took the time to tell us from his hospital bed what kind of hardware he was emailing from. The parent poster still plays games and jokes with his nephew, doesn't he?

      --
      ~Idarubicin
  24. Jobs' Dirty Secret by OrthodonticJake · · Score: 5, Funny

    Jobs' Unreplaceable Pancreas Lasts Only 588 Months!!

    --
    I regularly report MSN spam to the Hotmail admins.
  25. Words Steve didn't want to hear as he went under. by nlinecomputers · · Score: 4, Funny

    Damn. It blue screened AGAIN?

    --
    Slashdot, home of supporters of free software, free music, and free speech.Except for Moderators that disagree with you.
  26. Re:A serious question. by Moofie · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Created the notion that computers should be well designed, not just raw utilitarian functionalism?

    You might disagree, and you're entitled to. Me, I think Jobs has immeasurably improved my experience of using computers.

    What has he done? Re-energized a bunch of creative engineers and designers. Led them to take on the world and design insanely great products.

    Is he a coder? Or an engineer? Or a designer? No. He's a visionary. We need all those sorts of people to advance the state of any art.

    You are, of course, free to hate his vision. I do not. : )

    --
    Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
  27. Re:distorted vision of CEOs etc by MouseR · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Well, here's my moderation points going away for this reply.

    If you'd be a little more informed, you'd know from talking with Apple engineers (lite I do at the Apple World Wide Developer Conference) that Jobs actually has a say in everything.

    He actually overseas both software and hardware development to the point of butting in on designs/features/implementation and repeatedly looks over your shoulder to make sure it's as he wants it to be.

    At first, I'm told, this is nerve-wrecking and eventually, Apple engineerings rely on this and some actually appreciate it when comes the time where Jobs has nothing much to say about your product. Engineers told me, "it's at that point we usually know we have a winner".

    (All jokes aside, I've not heard this specific comment about the Mac Cube :-)

  28. Re:A serious question. by martinX · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Reality distortion field. He makes people believe anything can happen.

    And then it does.

    --
    When they came for the communists, I said "He's next door. Take him away. Goddam commies."
  29. Re:now watch Gates copy him by squidinkcalligraphy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Then where would Microsoft pull its software from?

    --
    "I think it would be a good idea" Gandhi, on Western Civilisation
  30. Re:A Wake Up Call? by phrasebook · · Score: 5, Funny

    Live your life as if you are going to be dead tomorrow.

    Okay that makes sense. Here is my plan for every day of the rest of my life:

    7am: wake up, eat an enormous breakfast
    8am - midday: make funeral arrangements
    afternoon: give away my cds, computer etc.
    night: go look at the stars, or something

    7am: wake up, eat an enormous breakfast
    8am - midday: make funeral arrangements
    afternoon: give away my cds, computer etc.
    night: go look at the stars, or something

    7am: wake up, eat an enormous breakfast
    8am - midday: make funeral arrangements
    afternoon: give away my cds, computer etc.
    night: go look at the stars, or something

    7am: wake up, eat an enormous breakfast
    8am - midday: make funeral arrangements
    afternoon: give away my cds, computer etc.
    night: go look at the stars, or something

    7am: wake up, eat an enormous breakfast
    8am - midday: make funeral arrangements
    afternoon: give away my cds, computer etc.
    night: go look at the stars, or something

    7am: wake up, eat an enormous breakfast
    8am - midday: make funeral arrangements
    afternoon: give away my cds, computer etc.
    night: go look at the stars, or something ...

  31. Duck Head. by SKorvus · · Score: 4, Informative

    "Duck head". Called that because it looks vaguely like a Disney(R) trademarked character when viewed at the right angle. If you squint. It's true it's not normally covered by warranty: they're very simple physical parts that would only normally break due to abuse by a user. If you can explain the nature of the failure to AppleCare support, and indicate you didn't mistreat the poor thing, they might send you a free one. Hope this helps. :-)

    --
    Live simply, that others may simply live. -Gandhi
  32. In other news... by ModernGeek · · Score: 4, Informative

    ... one of the authors of PearPC was hit by a train and killed.

    More on their site

    --
    Sig: I stole this sig.
  33. Re:Steve is now a Type-1 Diabetic :-( by jcr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Unfortunately, there is not much economic incentive to find a cure for Diabetes...they just make too much damn money off those insulin shots.

    Your statement presumes that those who currently sell insulin would be able to prevent the sellers of a cure from getting it to market.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  34. Re:micromanagement and credit where it is due by mj_1903 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Ok, let me rephrase it for him:

    Without Steve Jobs, the products may exist, but they most certainly would not be up to the extraidonary standard they are.

    Case in point, the original iPod as designed by engineers (pre-release) was almost impossible to navigate. Jobs sat down with the team and worked out how you could get to anywhere on the iPod with only 3 clicks. That is what sets Apple's products apart and what makes them so successful.

  35. Poor Tim by victor_the_cleaner · · Score: 4, Funny

    So how many times do you think Steve is going to be checking in on Tim? I say he gets about 5-10 calls per day, then of course Steve will show up for un-announced visits.

    I certainly hope there is not a single slip-up when Steve is gone, otherwise Tim is out the door in September.

  36. Will this change the way Apple innovates? by amichalo · · Score: 4, Interesting

    First: Steve, best wishes and speedy recovery. Millions of people are praying for you and wishing you well.

    Second: Does anyone think this will serve as a 'wake up' call to Apple's leadership and innovation practices?

    I am a Switcher and what I found when I started following the world-that-is-Apple that Steve === Apple. He was a founder, when he was outed the company went on a death spiral, when he came back it got a second life with the 1st gen iMac and now Appel rules digital music.

    But is that the best way to run a company? Certainly you NEED a strong leader, but it seems a bit pied piper to me. What would the next years look like for Apple if Steve had had terminal cancer? Has Apple grown into an organization that can go on without him?

    I work for a small business and our founder and president of three decades will soon retire. He has run his company very patriarchially (sp) and it has been interesting to see senior managment change their styles to rely less upon the president for decision making and instead, take that on themselves.

    I use that as an illustration of growing pains that Apple may one day soon face. How to instil the innovation and business savvy of Steve Jobs throughout the organization so that Apple will be a strong company well past Steve's tenure.

    --
    I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
  37. Rumors by peteMG · · Score: 5, Funny
    Perhaps the next big thing coming up is:
    • Apple announces they'll be at some big medical conference
    • It's found out that Steve is giving the keynote
    • He talks about Apple's work in biotech and other scientific applications..
    • one more thing...
    • "We've developed a new piece of software. We call it 'Doctor'. Together with some beautiful new hardware, it can really do amazing things.. and I'd like to show it to you now."
    • cue video of a PowerBook
    • performing the cancer surgery
    • on steve
    • by itself
    • conference center thrown into chaos; Steve escapes by helicopter
    • international frenzy ensues. Apple stock rises 339948290580% (profit)

    Best wishes for luck and a speedy recovery.