Report: Steve Jobs’ health crisis not cancer, but does it even matter?

January 14, 2009 | Jordan Golson | Comments |
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Several years ago, Steve Jobs was diagnosed with a treatable form of pancreatic cancer. After a short leave of absence, Jobs was pronounced healthy, wealthy and wise. Except now, Jobs is sick again. And taking a leave of absence. Again. But is it the big “C”?

Brad Stone in today’s New York Times:

Two people who are familiar with Mr. Jobs’s current medical treatment said he was not suffering from a recurrence of cancer, but a condition that was preventing his body from absorbing food. Doctors have also advised him to cut down on stress, which may be making the problem worse, these people said.

Sure, this could be true. Or it might not. There has been so much crosstalk and misinformation about Jobs’ health, both from Apple and the rumor mill, that I don’t know what to believe any more.

First Jobs had a “common bug“, then a “hormone imbalance” which was easily fixed. Now the situation has become more “complex” and Jobs is taking a 5-month medical leave. Why would, or should the press — or AAPL shareholders — believe anything anyone says about Jobs now?

Anyway, given the state of the information surrounding Jobs, and how every time I turn around the situation seems to be worse than the day before, I would be very surprised if Steve Jobs were to return to Apple in any sort of day-to-day capacity at any point, never mind in June.

And maybe it’s better that way.

[Photo by marcopako]

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Photo of Jordan Golson

About the Author, Jordan Golson

I'm a freelance tech writer based in Boston.

  • Getting away from day-to-day operations could be beneficial for Apple.
    Steve Jobs can take time to have a broader view on the world and surprise us all in June.

    The Apple tribe needs innovation in order to keep following their leader.
  • Sixer
    What is the state of the information according to you? You don't know what to believe, but you'd be surprised if he returns in a day-to-day capacity?

    Speculate much?
  • Geoff
    Sixer sounds confused.
  • Investors probably should plan their world on worst case assumptions, but I also think that a larger factor is at work in terms of the punishing that Apple's stock has gotten over the past several months.

    For lack of a better term, I call it the Yin-Yang of Apple's Reality Distortion Field, something that I blogged about in a post called:

    Punishing the Wizard: On Apple and Steve Jobs
    http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2009/01/puni...

    Check it out if interested.

    Cheers,

    Mark
  • Doctor's Interview and point of view:
    Everybody is talking about a neoplastic pancreatic condition. The most frequent pancreatic malignancy is ductal carcinoma. Let's suppose he does not suffer from that condition and that, as he says, he has a tumoral endocrine pancreatic disease which is treatable. In that case we look for diseases like MEN (multiple endocrine neoplasia) Type I (MEN I). With symptoms provoking chronic diarrhea, weight loss with tumors of the parathyroid glands, pancreatic islet cells and hypofisis. Sometimes most of the pancreas must be removed in order to control the endocrine symptoms. The disease is longlasting and death can happen in cases of complications. Is he suffering from Insulinoma ?, or a gastrin pruducing tumor of the pancreas ? Who knows, is one of those his condition ? Are they hiding a more frequent and severe disease like ductal carcinoma because of Apple stock price. The insiders are the only people aware of the truth. By the way a Whipple procedure is a type of surgery in which the pancreas and the duodenum are radically removed. It is mostly used to treat pancreatic cancer with the intention to cure.

    Let's all hope for the best.

    For more information on this story please follow some insider's views here:
    http://www.applegameshop.com/2009/01/secret-int...

    Steve Wozjobs
    http://www.applegameshop.com
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