Gen. Petraeus Battling Prostate Cancer

(AP)  Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February and has since undergone two months of radiation treatment.

Petraeus, 56, was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer, which was not publicly disclosed at the time because Petraeus and his family regarded his illness as "a personal matter" that "did not interfere with the performance of his duties," said his spokesman, Col. Erik Gunhus. President Barack Obama and top members of his administration were informed, he said.

As commander of a region running through the Middle East and across Central Asia, Petraeus did make at least one overseas trip during his treatment.

The Pentagon termed Petraeus' treatment "successful." He was treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

In recent months, Petraeus has been noticeably on the sidelines of the public debate over how to salvage the war effort in Afghanistan.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Afghanistan: The Road Ahead

Known mainly for the troop build up in Iraq that helped calm the war there, Petraeus once had great star power and used it publicly. He was a darling at Capitol Hill hearings and had former President George Bush's ear in regular video conferences to talk about military matters, a relationship that doesn't exist with the Obama White House.

As the head of the U.S. Central Command, he is still very much involved in the conversation about the two ongoing wars, debating the new Afghan strategy with the National Security Council and flying late last month to Germany for a meeting with the commander in Afghanistan.

But he has taken such a low profile publicly of late that some inside the Washington beltway speculated that he was contemplating a run for the presidency in 2012, something his adviser have denied.

The more prominent public face of the current war debate is Gen. Stanley McChrystal, sent in the summer as Obama's hand-picked commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. Petraeus has said that he supports McChrystal's assessment of the campaign and McChrystal's call for more troops, a position finding limited favor in the administration.

[rhs648]

jsd330 - Please expand that to those born in the 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's. There are millions of us. And yes, we remember Vietnam.

[wdh3007]

He is a good leader his treatment was successful and he will pull thru he was a success in Iraq and will be successful again in whatever he does.

[bubbadubba]

<<<For someone to ask a question such as that - you would need to understand what it takes to lead people and complete a mission. That is probably why you had to ask the question in the first place - no idea. Stick with political matters since you can fake that.>>>

Keyboard warriors and keyboard military experts, we should all sleep well knowing they are around to protect us and die for us typing on their keyboards.

[enzoc45]

As a Viet Nam Vet and a Prostate Cancer survivor..my only comment here...get well General!!

[bobnjersey]

[Petraeus has said that he supports McChrystal's assessment of the campaign and McChrystal's call for more troops, a position finding limited favor in the administration. ]

is there a general who wouldn't ask for more ... regardless of what they had?

[hungry1968-16]

I guess that he'll be dying pretty soon - according to the neo cons anyway.

Afterall, the general is going to have to rely on the "socialistic medicine" that the Army provides it's soldiers, and according to them, socialized medicine kills people.

[jackp32]

He is a true warrior.

[superdem1]

It amazes me that anyone thinks we have "won" in Iraq. It's still a powderkeg flush with weapons, money, and ethnic groups which hate each other, which could explode at any moment. An American soldier was killed just last week, bringing the toll to 4,347. I believe the "insurgents" are just laying low, hoping the Americans will leave. Then they will continue their power struggle. It also amazes me that anyone thinks we can do anything in Afghanistan. No one remembers Viet Nam, apparently. No one remembers the Soviet experience in Afghanistan. We are in for a disaster, so long as people like Petraeus insist on national bravado and world dominance. But what do you expect, plumbers plumb, soldiers fight. It's all they know how to do. But I expected more from Obama, he's just getting sucked in by all the red, white, and blue. We better get a wall ready in Washinton for all the names to be carved there.

[jsd330]

superdem1 How can you say no one remembers Viet Nam, ask anyone who grew up in the 60's or early 70's. Ask any of us Vet's that were there if we remember it, or those who lost family and friends in that war. I'm sure there are more people then you think who remember Viet Nam.

[bubbadubba]

This is what will likely happen to him.
It has happened to every older person I know including my father.
He will feel weak from the radiation treatment for at least a year.
Then he will feel a little better but will never feel as strong again as he was before the treatment.
In about 3 to 5 years he will start bleeding from the rectum.
He will start feeling pain and will get many transfusions of blood over the next few years due to bleeding.
Eventually he will wear diapers and will suffer.
As one doctor told me " when they treat you with radiation for prostate cancer they destroy everything it it's path especially the rectum which is very sensitive. The tissue is made weak and eventually starts to die".
He also said " when they do that it turns your insides into raw hamburger meat".
Now everyone argue with me and tell me about someone they know that is fine but I have been involved with the medical field for years and I hear things other people do not.
The pellet treatment is better than standard radiation treatment but the best as of this time is surgery using the DaVinci robot which allows men to recover after a couple of days relatively pain free and usually without any of the side effects of the old style surgery.
I am posting this to hopefully help someone on this board who may face prostate cancer and a treatment decision.
So go ahead and attack with with personal attacks, I expect that.

[fss2009]

How about that...
all this money and all these young lives wasted, and yet, it appears very likely that bin Laden will outlive Petraeus.

Maybe God is trying to tell us something.