By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    healthcare cybersecurity
    4 Helpful Tips on How to Protect Your Medical Practice Against Cyber Attacks
    October 24, 2021
    Health Check Diagnosis Medical Condition Analysis Concept
    6 Health Woes With Online Remedies
    January 19, 2022
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    April 24, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    healthy nursing school habits
    Healthy Habits for Nursing Student Nursing School Students
    May 24, 2024
    High Deductables
    High-Deductible Insurance and Rising Bad Debt
    July 24, 2015
    How People Are Taking Advantage of Health Deals in the Recent Recession
    February 5, 2021
    Latest News
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
    Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development
    June 13, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: An Open Letter to Tom Brokaw About Cancer
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > An Open Letter to Tom Brokaw About Cancer
Specialties

An Open Letter to Tom Brokaw About Cancer

Andrew Schorr
Last updated: February 25, 2014 9:11 am
Andrew Schorr
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

Jane_Pauley_Tom_Brokaw_Today_1977Dear Tom (I am calling you that instead of “Mr. Brokaw” because, like millions of Americans, I feel like I know you personally),

Jane_Pauley_Tom_Brokaw_Today_1977Dear Tom (I am calling you that instead of “Mr. Brokaw” because, like millions of Americans, I feel like I know you personally),

I read that you have announced you have cancer, multiple myeloma, and that you and your doctors are optimistic. At 74, no one knows how much time they have left, but I am writing to tell you as a two-time cancer survivor myself, and a medical journalist who covers myeloma, that this is truly a “good time” to have this cancer. It was a lot tougher for your peer, Peter Jennings of ABC, who died of lung cancer in 2012. I know you interviewed him and I am sure it was tough for both of you. But we all need to understand that not all cancers are alike. While progress is being made on subtypes of lung cancer, progress and longer-term survival is much more broad in your condition. The odds are you will get to play with your grandchildren for a long time.

I, myself, was diagnosed with a leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), at age 45 in 1996. By connecting with other patients online, I was directed to world experts far from my home city, I entered a clinical trial, it worked, and I received breakthrough medicine ten years before FDA approval. The disease remains in deep remission today and I have enjoyed a full life. As a patient advocate, I was delighted to see that the news of your diagnosis was not described with the usual dark adjectives that usually accompany a story about a celebrity with cancer. The cancer story is changing. I am an example of that as are several million others – especially with blood cancers like yours where increasingly targeted therapies are being used to knock the disease back. Welcome to the world of “chronic cancer” where we can live with it and hopefully not die from it anytime soon.

More Read

bleeding gums
9 Methods to Stop Bleeding Gums
Aging in the Empire State: A Look at New York City’s Senior Population
5 Tips for Taking Hormones During Gender Transition
Sublingual Immunotherapy: A Safe and Effective Alternative to Allergy Shots
HIMSS 2013: Radiology’s Place in the Healthcare IT World

The other good news is that new medicines are coming out at a more rapid rate. We discuss this in depth in the myeloma section of our website. The pharmaceutical companies fully understand that our population is aging and that cancer is more likely. So for years they’ve been investing in new drugs or buying up smaller biotech companies that have promising cancer science. Now those efforts are bearing fruit. So the treatment you get next year will probably be different than this year. You have joined us on a journey. But it’s not just a journey of patients. It’s a journey of the researchers and clinic doctors, as well. In my opinion, cancer history, at least for some cancers, is being re-written. This is not the same situation in myeloma that confronted Geraldine Ferraro or baseball’s Mel Stottlemyre. You get the benefit of medical progress and the prospect of even better treatments being there for you in the years to come.

None of this is to say cancer is easy. Anything but that. Whether you have the “good kind” or another more aggressive type, it’s a punch in the stomach. From all appearances you have picked yourself off the floor and not only gone on with your life, but, to your credit, gone public with your diagnosis. You are living proof that a cancer diagnosis does not equal death. I urge you to join us in speaking out. You have world renowned doctors at The Mayo Clinic, a leading center for myeloma research. But many patients have never heard of it or any other major center. Furthermore, they don’t know why their local oncologist may have gaps in their knowledge about this disease. Your message can be what we advocates and the leading experts know, in oncology today the pace of change in many conditions, and certainly this one, is rapid. A new patient must strive to get care or a consultation with a myeloma specialist. The treatments of six months ago may well be outdated. So I am hoping you, a newsman who has covered every imaginable story, can now cover cancer and speak out from a personal perspective.

Mr. Brokaw, this is your next assignment.

Yours in Cancer Survivorship,

Andrew Schorr, Barcelona

TAGGED:multiple myelomaTom Brokaw
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025
recovering from injury
Rebuilding After Injury: Path to Physical and Emotional Recovery
News
June 22, 2025
scientist using microscope
When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
Global Healthcare
June 18, 2025

You Might also Like

CardiologySpecialties

Top AED Models To Minimize Risks Of Cardiac Arrest 2019

October 24, 2019
PregnancySpecialties

Understanding the Benefits of Ultrasounds and How to Prepare for One

May 1, 2022
Home HealthObesityWellness

Diet And Fitness Advice: What Should You Eat To Be Healthy?

May 29, 2019
Specialties

A Personal Decision: Choosing to Undergo Bariatric Surgery

May 12, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?