February 11, 2009 5:03 PM

Fred Thompson Has Cancer

(AP)  Fred Thompson, the potential presidential candidate better known as television's gruff "Law & Order" district attorney, said Wednesday he was diagnosed with lymphoma more than two years ago but the cancer shouldn't affect his life expectancy.

In an interview with Fox News Channel's Neil Cavuto, the former Tennessee senator, 64, said a doctor conducting a physical in 2004 found a bump on his neck, which turned out to be non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He said the disease is in remission with no illness or symptoms, and it won't affect his decision about whether to seek the Republican nomination.

"I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't satisfied in my own mind as to the nature of it and the fact that not only will I have an average lifespan but in the meantime I will not be affected in anyway by it," Thompson said. "Now of course nobody knows the future but that has been in the history for almost three years now in terms of no symptoms and no sickness."'

Thompson's physician, Dr. Bruce Cheson, hematology chief at Georgetown University Hospital, said the prognosis is good.

"Some lymphomas are very aggressive, but people with slow-growing types, like Senator Thompson's, more often die from natural causes associated with old age, rather than from the disease," Cheson said in a statement.

Thompson's disclosure comes just weeks after Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, revealed that her cancer had returned. White House spokesman Tony Snow recently underwent surgery for cancer that had spread to his liver.

Cancer has touched past and present presidential candidates. John McCain carries scars after three episodes of melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer. His 2008 Republican rival, Rudy Giuliani, had prostate cancer, which also afflicted 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry and 1996 Republican nominee Bob Dole.

In 1992, Democratic primary candidate Paul Tsongas was the first presidential candidate to run as a cancer survivor, having undergone a radical bone-marrow transplant six years earlier after lymphoma forced an end to his Senate career. Tsongas later died from a complication related to the treatment for the disease's recurrence.

"I have friends in politics, some in Congress, some running for president, and others who have successfully dealt with cancer," Thompson told interviewer Cavuto, who has battled Hodgkin's disease in the past and has multiple sclerosis. "It is certainly no respecter of persons and totally nonpartisan."



© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 40 Comments
by colonieny April 12, 2007 2:53 PM EDT


He is a tough honest man, and a Reagan like Republican. If Reagan could serve with a colon cancer and at an advanced age, I would vote for Sen T. and trust. At this time, he seems to be the best man for the job.
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by terrapin78 April 12, 2007 12:39 PM EDT
I don't think anyone running for President would get elected with a cancer known to be inside them.

It's a health issue. We want who we elect to be there for the entire term. With cancer, there is less of a chance of this outcome.
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by sero5 April 12, 2007 3:24 AM EDT
Glad to hear his cancer is in remission. Hope Thompson decides to run. He is a no nonsense sort of guy unlike the Clintons, Bush, and Pelosi.
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by puzzler125 April 11, 2007 10:13 PM EDT
I'm a liberal and I'm not mean, angry or unhappy! Actually I do get angry when I see mean posts here.
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by witwct April 11, 2007 9:40 PM EDT
I hope Katie learned her lesson last time based on comments I saw, but then the Edwards sure got a lot of sympathy and good will out of that interchange! makes one wonder!!
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by fairandbal April 11, 2007 9:27 PM EDT
The burning question that comes to mind when reading this will be if Catie will ask Fred if he's using his cancer diagnosis for political gain! Somehow i don't think she'll be asking that question of a GOP candidate.
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by witwct April 11, 2007 9:15 PM EDT
very funny, if they had cut any more of my right hip off I might have needed the suspenders!!! it was a lump I had been living with for about a year. my primary care doctor told me it was a fatty tumor (more joke fodder) which doesn't need any treatment, a very common condition but what mcc is usually wrongly diagnosed as. so be careful with those innoculous lumps!!!!
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by hawksprings April 11, 2007 8:43 PM EDT

Is Merkel Cell related to Urkel Cell?
Do you find yourself wanting to wear big ugly glasses and suspenders?
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by witwct April 11, 2007 8:41 PM EDT
correction, this article states that melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. I thought so too until I got Merkel Cell Carcinoma. It is more deadly than Melanoma. Fortunately for the general population, it is a lot rarer. That's unfortunate for me since there is much less research on Merkel Cell Carcinoma.
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by hawksprings April 11, 2007 8:40 PM EDT

But we're happy :)
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