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steve JoBs
Why did Steve Jobs choose not to
effectively treat his cancer?
Ramzi Amri, MD/PhD Candidate, MGH Surgical Oncology
I hesitated a long time before addressing this topic. To avoid
any risks of bias, let me start by stating that all the details
on Jobs' specific case are based on secondary sources, albeit
from reliable sources in the media. I write this on a personal
title, I do not pretend to know anything about the case on
a personal level, and I never participated in the care of Mr.
Jobs. I base all my cancer figures on sources from biomedical
research known to me.
I respect the privacy of, and in no way wish to offend,
anyone mourning his passing. I have the profoundest respect
for Mr. Jobs and his legacy, but I feel that in the spirit of his
progressive view of the world, learning from his case is an
appropriate way to look back on the facts concerning his life
and legacy.
I have done a year and a half of research on the type of
tumor that affected Steve Jobs as a medical student in Amsterdam
and have some strong opinions on his case, not only
as an admirer of his work, but also as a cancer researcher who
has the impression that his disease course has been far from
optimal.
Let me cut to the chase: Mr. Jobs allegedly chose to undergo
all sorts of alternative treatment options before opting
for conventional medicine.
This was, of course, a freedom he had all the rights to
take, but given the circumstances, it seems sound to assume
that Mr. Jobs' choice for alternative medicine could have led
to an unnecessarily early death.
Again, please understand that I have no knowledge of the
specific case, I'm just trying to give insights on his a priori
odds of cure. These are independent of his case and mere indicators
that somehow his case turned for the worse when
it statistically was improbable. What made this happen will
remain in the domain of speculations. We're here to see if his
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