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On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement

By Jeralyn, Section Media
Posted on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 02:55:38 PM EST
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A big thanks to Crooks and Liars for locating and uploading the video of Peter Jenning's announcement last night of his lung cancer. ABC News, if you can believe it, is charging for the video.

The video is sad. Jenning's voice is scratchy, and he tries to put a brave face and display a stoic outlook on his condition. One of the things that has made Jennings (and Brokaw) superior anchors is that they never made the news about them. Their personalities really didn't come through in their newscasts. It was always about the story. Even in this announcement, Jennings half sounds like he's reporting on his condition. He extends compassion to others who are battling cancer and tells us that one is a survivor from the moment of diagnosis. He doesn't allow himself even a moment of self-pity on the air--although his last line has a touch of self-effacing humor to it.

Some doctors are speculating that his cancer must be advanced because he is going right into chemotherapy without first having surgery. I suspect only Jenning's doctors know for sure how advanced his conditon is. Lung cancer is serious, but there are survivors.

The wife of a prominent lawyer and friend of mine in New York has been suffering from lung cancer for over two years. She was beyond operating when diagnosed. Yet I saw her in Mexico and in Los Angeles after her diagnosis. She looked good both times, and was able to enjoy going out to dinner with a small group of friends. She attended a large, mostly standing up outdoor function one afternoon, and a reception that same evening. She has good days and bad days. But non-surgical treatment (and her devoted husband) have kept her alive and productive a lot longer than most would have thought.

So, my best wishes go out to Peter Jennings. I think he's a survivor and I hope he fights like hell. Like Brokaw, he is an American icon, an institution. It's way too soon to say goodbye.

[And no, I'm not leaving Dan Rather out of the group because I think less of him. I just never watched him much so I don't feel the familiarity with him that I do with Jennings and Brokaw.]

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    On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement | 14 comments (14 topical)
    Re: On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement (none / 0) (#1)
    by desertswine on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 03:54:43 PM EST
    Good luck to Jennings. He was always the best of the Big Three.

    Re: On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 04:21:28 PM EST
    beautiful man, beautiful soul- deserves to live--hoping that in this case--'whom the gods love [does NOT]die young...'

    Re: On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 06:13:23 PM EST
    Larry King devoted his show last night to Peter Jennings and to the medical issues relating to smoking and lung cancer. Here's the transcript if you missed seeing it. (The video clips transcript contains quotations from Peter Jennings' on-air announcement.) Unfortunately, according to related news reports, Mr. Jennings' cancer is "inoperable," which is why he is not having surgery and is going straight into chemotherapy. I'm afraid that the oncologist from Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center in NYC, Dr. Ronald Natale, who was the medical guest expert on Larry King Live, indicated that the prognosis is not very good in such cases, but, he and others (inc. Larry King) did also stress that one's positive attitude can be an important factor in survival.

    Re: On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement (none / 0) (#4)
    by clio on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 06:41:56 PM EST
    This announcement brought back many memories. My husband died of lung cancer. He, too, had quit smoking after many years. In fact, I never knew him to smoke. But lung cancer is a slow growing tumor, and when we found his, it, too, was inoperable. My husband was in a chemotherapy treatment protocol. While he responded amazingly well for a few months, ultimately it was not enough. Every bit helps, though. I know that there are better treatments for lung cancer now than there were even 12 years ago when my husband was treated. Still, it sounds like Peter Jennings has an uphill fight. I shall hope for the best for him. It's a damnable disease that no one deserves. As my husband's doctor used to say, "It's a hanging sentence for a misdemeanor offense."

    Re: On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 07:48:58 PM EST
    Peter Jennings is almost 70 years old he will die from something its normal, and so will you someday die just like all other people have. but i do feel for the guy.

    Re: On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 09:27:18 PM EST
    clio--I am sorry to learn that your late husband died of cancer. You have my sympathy. A correction of my earlier comment: I mistakenly mentioned "NYC" above as the location of Cedars-Sinai Cancer [Outpatient Treatment] Center; it is part of The Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, the city which the transcript of Larry King Live identifies as the location of Dr. Ronald Natale. (I was probably mixing it up with Sloan-Kettering, which is in New York City; this link to the latest treatments for lung cancer etc. may be helpful.) I came back to add the links in case anyone might find them useful. It turns out that, after his residency, Dr. Ronald Natale also had a fellowship in hemotology/oncology at Sloan-Kettering. (His bio is posted at the link.)

    Re: On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 07, 2005 at 09:16:07 AM EST
    Fred... you have such a way with words!

    Re: On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement (none / 0) (#8)
    by clio on Thu Apr 07, 2005 at 09:52:47 AM EST
    Susan, Thank you. It's been long enough that the acuteness has subsided, but, of course, one never forgets. My husband was treated by RJ Gralla, MD, who was at Sloan-Kettering and is now, I believe, at The Oschner Clinic in New Orleans (these high-powered researchers get recruited a lot). He was one of the founders of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer and his supportive attitude and practical suggestions helped me cope and vastly improved my husband's quality of life; so much so that for most of his last year we were able to forget he had the disease, except for the monthly hospitalizations for chemo. The quote about "hanging sentence" is his, as was arranging for one of our chemo visits to be during Mardi Gras. Because of that we had rooms and shuttle bus service in a primo part of New Orleans at patient treatment prices. We also have a bright, shining memory of my husband laughing with the kids and catching Mardi Gras favors thrown by the masquers at all the crewe parades, eating that terrible looking green, gold, and purple cake, and forgetting the reason we had come to New Orleans. Dr. Gralla gave us far more than more and better time together. I hope that Mr. Jennings is being treated by someone as perceptive.

    Re: On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 07, 2005 at 11:35:34 PM EST
    Clio--Just saw your reply, and I thank you for taking the time to post it. The details may help someone who could use them. Your husband was lucky to have you at his side. After looking at Dr. Natale's bio., I too hoped that Peter Jennings has such an accomplished speciallist; of course, given his role as one of the "big three" network news anchors for so many decades, it is very likely that he has the very best of medical minds working with him to give him the highest quality treatment. I watched the video of his announcement again and agree with TL's perceptions about it in this entry. Beneath his very calm news-reader veneer, I did detect quite a lot of emotion, and it is very moving. I wish him all the best in his attempt to conquer this disease. I think it is wise of him to take his time off whenever he needs it, and I hope that he doesn't feel the pull of work when he needs rest and recuperation.

    Re: On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 08, 2005 at 11:43:27 PM EST
    Just stopping in to point out two MSM class acts in their reports about their colleague Peter Jennings: Aaron Brown (NewsNight with Aaron Brown), at the end of his broadcast of April 5th; and Keith Olbermann (Countdown with Keith Olbermann) at the end of his program on April 8th. A large portion of his words also appear in Keith Olbermann's entry "The Perseverance of Peter Jennings" at Bloggerman. (The transcript should be up at Countdown soon. A featured link to the blog entry "The Perseverance of Peter Jennings" appears in the "Web Exclusive" section of that site too.) These are heartfelt tributes and words of encouragement addressed to Mr. Jennings. Aaron Brown and Keith Olbermann appear to speak from generous hearts as well as keen minds, and I enjoy their programs.

    Re: On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 07:26:42 PM EST
    Pray that Peter Jennings receives Jesus Christ as his LORD and Savior !!

    Re: On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 16, 2005 at 04:08:26 PM EST
    As a gesture of their support for Peter Jennings, in his battle against cancer, his colleagues at ABC-TV and Radio are wearing "Live Strong" yellow wristbands acquired from the Lance Armstrong Foundation

    Re: On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 16, 2005 at 04:09:24 PM EST
    Here's the direct link to the transcript of Countdown with Keith Olbermann of Friday, April 8, 2005. Olbermann's comments on "the perseverance of Peter Jennings" are at end of the broadcast.

    Re: On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Apr 27, 2005 at 12:25:37 PM EST
    I love peter Jennings!

    On Peter Jennings Lung Cancer Announcement | 14 comments (14 topical)