Victor Davis Hanson health update
[Hat tip: commenter “Kate.”]
I want to call attention to this announcement from VDH:
… [H]ere is a brief update concerning my current temporary absence.
As I wrote, the removal of a cancerous lung mucinous adenoma carcinoma along with the lower right lung lobe roughly a month ago was successful.
But a post-op aneurism/bleed soon developed. That required a quick second reentry operation into the lung to stop the hemorrhaging—adding considerable time under anesthesia and requiring about five blood transfusions.
As a result, over the last 30 days, I developed low red blood counts, fatigue, and bouts of arterial fibrillation. All that has sort of slowed my recovery.
This type of nonsmoker’s lung cancer has a rare genetic/mutation profile. And it seems to recur about 40% of the time in the general lung area—even when, as in my case, the removed and biopsied lymph nodes, along with adjacent vascular/pleural samples, were all negative.
He adds that chemo is only slightly effective against the type of cancer he has, and he hasn’t yet decided whether he’ll do it. It certainly sounds as though he’s been through the mill.
The bottom line is that I’m hoping to come back as soon as possible. But I don’t know exactly when I’ll be back to near normal.
In the meantime, I hope to post things now and then on days when I feel better.
Sincerely—and again thanks to everyone!
Prayers and best wishes for healing go out to him.
NOTE: I’ll add that I have a very good friend who’s undergoing treatment for a cancer with a poor prognosis. Very distressing. I’m in that time of life when such news becomes more and more common. Many of you probably are, too.
I was regularly listening to VDH when he was making visits to the Urgent Care etc while trying to diagnose/treat his symptoms. At that time, he was addressing the concerns of our health facilities here in California that are inundated with people that have paid net zero into the system and how we who have prioritized care and paid accordingly our whole lives, just get in line. Truly difficult circumstances. Indeed prayers for him and for all with health challenges.
Fortunately for Victor he’s got Stanford Medical running this show. I know none of them are perfect but I’ll take that over a Selma urgent care anytime.
I posted elsewhere here that I learned this week that VDH is a regular reader of Power Line blog. I was thrilled to find that out given all my posts at Power Line.
In a perfectly just universe, Dr. Hanson would be living a vigorous and productive life and Billy Eilish would be standing on some anonymous street corner looking to get $5.00 for some random sex act. I usually tend toward accepting things I can not change, but if there was only some way….
I understand where VDH’s thought processes are at this point. After going through 10 months of medical hell, but with a good result so far, it does leave a mental scar. My 6 month evaluation had a PSA of 0.07 with no prostate. My PA expected zero so set up a second at 3 months…this week. I’ve been sweating it for 3 months. Came back 0.07 again. So at the detection limit and no change. Once the big CA is there, even with successful procedures, it never leaves your mind. If it comes back, so be it. I’m not doing anything else. Give me pain killers and I’ll just go on out.
physicsguy:
Hope the PSA stays way down there.
physics guy, pain from prostate cancer is bone pain. This cancer has a curious affinity for bone, typically lumbar spine. These metastases are readily palliated with rather low dose irradiation, often rather durable. So, in the event, don’t be too resigned to narcotics and enjoy normal bowel function instead of narco-induced constipation.
VDH’s strength is not in medicine.
Cicero,
I think my team is being overly cautious and following protocol. The PSA level is just barely above detectable level. It did cause me concern, but with the new measurement, I’m not concerned with prostate cancer. I’m am concerned about the bladder cancer, and the fact that my body seems prone to cancer I assume it will show up somewhere else at some later time.
Best wishes to Victor David Hanson and family and friends. As Neo said, sounds like he’s been through the mill, and is not done yet. Miss him. Love his wisdom. Look forward to when he will share again with us.
physicsguy-
Protocol for prostate ca therapy may have changed since I retired, but probably not much. Used to be that three successive rises in PSA were deemed evidence of recurrence after treament of curative intent [surgery or irradiation].Rises, not numeric values. So PSA = 0., then 0.1, next 0.2, then 0.4 was sufficient for systemic therapy when I retired 20 yrs ago.
CICERO:
It does seem to have changed. Here’s a description of the protocol in 2025.
It sounds like VDH has run the same path that I did, culminating with surgery back in 2024. It started with a persistent cough for no apparent reason, and then a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia. Unidentified lung spots showed up there, which led to a CT scan and a “hot-spot” in a place the surgeon would not go for a biopsy due to potential for serious collateral damage. Another year or so in CTs until one showed significant growth in one of the spots. The surgery removed a section of the right lower lobe (a better deal than VDH got, but I have seniority on him). The lesion was definitely CA, but clear margins and lymph nodes, so no radiation or chemo. I’m due for the next semi-annual CT this month and hope to remain clear. The doc admonished me that the cancer is lurking in my system and will eventually come back. Due to my age, I may head it off….
I wish VDH the best, or at least something along the lines of my outcome.