My Problem With the Herman Cain Candidacy

For some reason I find it very difficult to write this post. I am a fan of Herman Cain. A big fan, a fan not unlike Robert Stacey McCain. I have been following his nascent campaign for the better part of six months and have been exceedingly impressed on a regular basis. Every time I hear the guy speak I become more impassioned by his persona, integrity and capability. Many have argued that he is a non-starter given his lack of Washington based experience and is supposed foreign policy naivete as it pertains to Afghanistan. I see this as nonsense. I found the response to his position on Afghanistan refreshing. With the exception of Allen West, his was the answer I would want from any potential candidate. It is an honest and realistic response to a loaded question. In the end it is about leadership and I think Mr. Cain gave the best answer I have heard.

But, and there is always a but, I have a singular concern with the candidacy of Herman Cain. That is he is a cancer survivor. This is not a detriment in and of itself, but Mr. Cain was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in 2006. Presumably, he underwent surgery, chemotherapy and potentially radiation. I don't know the specifics of Cain's medical record, but by his own account he survived both the disease and its treatment and is cancer free for 5 years running. Good for him! He is a testament for all that is right with the American medical system, but the realities keep getting in the way for me.

Did you know that the 5 year mortality of Stage IV adenocarcinoma of the colon is greater than 95%. That is less than 5 patients out of 100 survive 5 years from diagnosis. 2011 marks Herman Cain's 5 year anniversary.

Has it occurred to anyone that oncologist's don't refer to treatment of malignancies in terms of cure. When was the last time you have heard that there is a cure for lung cancer? Melanoma? Bladder, renal cell, liver, pancreatic? What about brain tumors? Never. It gets worse, when did you ever hear that someone was cured of their coronary artery disease or diabetes? The sad truth is that we don't cure things in medicine. Outside of some infectious diseases, we don't cure much. We manage things very well, but cure is a long way off. We speak of malignancies in terms of remission, not cure. This is my concern with Herman Cain and it must be addressed sooner, rather than later. His cancer is in remission, but it will return. It always does! As a hospitalist, this is a significant portion of my patient population. Folks who are either in active treatment, suffering from the consequences thereof, or who are actively dying! Herman Cain has a terminal disease of which there is no cure and it must be addressed!

I once had a 47 year old patient who implored me to kill her as she gasped for breath after suffering a catastrophic pulmonary embolism that occurred as a result of her lung cancer. Her pleading still haunts me. "Kill me, kill me now." were her words. "I can't breath, help me, kill me now." She too had a disease that was in remission, until she died from it.

Herman Cain has overcome incredible odds to get to the position he now finds himself. I will continue to encourage all to vote for him as the republican nominee for president of the United States, but feel I must raise these concerns, so that everyone has a sense of what they are voting for! These issues will come up eventually and the sooner they are addressed the better.

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