4 ms·
In particular, are hormone imbalances frequently comorbid with, say, pancreatic cancer?
by jlc 18y ago
In particular, are hormone imbalances frequently comorbid with, say, pancreatic cancer?
- jlc 18y agoOr a side effect of cancer treatment . . . .
- brandnewlow 18y agoSend your questions to: ask_the_explainer@yahoo.com and Slate'll get one of their assistants on it ASAP.
- hcayless 18y agoJobs doesn't have typical pancreatic cancer, or he'd almost certainly be dead by now. He has a carcinoid, some of which do pump out hormones that can cause effects like weight loss (and nausea, diarrhea, etc.). These symptoms are treatable. My father in law has a variety of this. He lost something like 70-80 pounds before they got it under control, but has been doing well for years now.
- dcurtis 18y agoAlso, he's a vegan which could complicate his nutritional problems.
- wensing 18y agoComplicates as in ... ?
- dcurtis 18y agoLots of ways. Vegans are an extreme minority. I assume most medical diets are designed for the majority of people. They probably had to formulate a special diet for him that was vegan, and it may have taken a while to find the proper mix. Also, statistical outlook data for cancers, surgeries, etc, are based on statistically average populations. Vegan people deviate that from that population, and that could mean their outlook/treatment be different. Jobs' whipple surgery drastically changed his digestive system. And because it's at least sort of rareish, I am not sure any good data exists for proper procedure on vegans who have undergone a whipple surgery. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancreaticoduodenectomy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancreaticoduodenectomy And: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism
- puffythefish 18y agoI've read that Steve Jobs is a pescetarian, which in general is much healthier than being a vegan (it is much easier to get essential nutrients such as B vitamins with fish). Here's one source: http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Steve_Jobs_-_Personal_life/id/2097046 http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Steve_Jobs_-_Personal_li... In the fourth paragraph: "Jobs is a pescetarian (not a vegetarian or vegan as is often claimed) — although he does not eat mammalian meat, he reportedly eats fish from time to time."
- michaelneale 18y agoYes he mentioned it was a nutritional problem, with a simple solution - chances are for years he has been depriving himself unknowingly of something important.
- ars 18y agoUh, no, chances are not that. Unless you are very stupid (and I don't think he is....) you can get what you need with just about any diet.
- likpok 18y agoReplace that with "Unless you are reasonably smart (and I think he is) you don't get what you need with certain diets." The issue with vegetarianism is that humans are not meant to eat just vegetables. Therefore, great care must be taken to get certain nutrients which are not found often in vegetables. Protein is the big one, but there are others. However, with a properly crafted diet (an issue that most? vegetarians run into) you should be able to get everything. (possibly with the aid of supplements).
- redrobot5050 18y agoYeah. Have you ever seen the food schedule for someone who beat cancer? Surf and Turf. Steak and Potatoes. Salmon and Chicken. 4 or 5 meals a day once your appetite comes back. Cancer treatments typically deplete the body of protein and lean tissue, and most doctors agree that eating meat is just the fastest/easiest way to recover. Its possible/probable a macrobiotic diet could contain enough protein and still be 100% vegan, but if there's another "imbalance" (say GMO Soy or Legumes which contain Estrogen) that could create issues he's had to deal with during his recovery.
- michaelneale 18y agoWhen I was in the UK I tried out "quorn" - I think that was how you spelled it. Basically a fungal/mushroom grown substance that is high in protein. All the vegoes I knew loved it (actually it tasted good to me), that and lots of beans/legumes.
- thras 18y agoThe hormone that matters most for fat is insulin. And yes, that puts things smack dab at the door of the pancreas. An insulin shot will tend to make you gain weight (like it does to type 1 diabetics). Don't know what Jobs' doctors are telling him to do.
- ars 18y agoI thought he lost muscle, not fat. (Otherwise why would he say ..rob protein...)
- lnguyen 18y agoGood article on Bloomberg: Steve Jobs’s Weight Loss May Have Been Spurred by Tumor Surgery (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aWiP2Bbh67Ig http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aWiP...)