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October 21st, 2011, 10:01 GMT · By

Steve Jobs Refused Cancer Surgery to Pursue Vegan Diet

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Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography is set to hit newsstands next week, October 24, containing intriguing details about the Apple co-founder life and his relationships with family, friends, and enemies alike.

One of the bases touched by the book is Jobs decision to delay surgery for almost a whole year after learning in October 2003 that he was suffering from a neuroendocrine tumor or, a relatively treatable and rare form of pancreatic cancer.

At the time, Jobs felt that he could rid his body of the disease with natural treatments, including juice fasts, bowel cleansings and other unproven approaches, according to Foxnews.

Isaacson reportedly says in his book that Jobs initially tried a vegan diet, acupuncture, herbal remedies and other treatments. He even consulted a psychic but eventually agreed to having surgery in 2004.

Quoting Jobs, Isaacson wrote: "`I really didn't want them to open up my body, so I tried to see if a few other things would work,' he told me years later with a hint of regret."

But Jobs didn’t quite regret his decision until recent years when it had become obvious that the cancer was making a comeback.

In 2005, Jobs gave a remarkable speech in front of Stanford University graduates saying he had won the battle with cancer, and that he was happy to be able to sit there with them on that warm summer day.

Years later, Jobs’ condition would get worse, and he would take several medial leaves to continue treatment.

During his second leave, the Apple CEO had a liver transplant which, although necessary, may have helped the cancer spread more rapidly, according to physician accounts.

When Jobs announced his third medical leave, it had become obvious that things were taking a turn for the worse. Jobs died on October 5, 2011 leaving the entire world in grief.

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READER COMMENTS:


Comment #1 by: Dave Warren on 22 Oct 2011, 15:36 UTC reply to this comment

When you look at the detail, his diet intially cured his cancer because two years after diagnosed, he gave the speech at Stanford University saying he had beaten cancer. He would probably have come off the diet and went back to the diet that caused the cancer in the first place, and it returned. Had he maintained the correct diet, such as the Gerson therapy, for longer, it is unlikely the cancer would have returned.

Comment #1.1 by: Becky on 25 Oct 2011, 23:25 GMT

I can't help thinking that my best friend also went on strange vegan, fruit and all liquid diets -- and died from liver cancer just the same. Sometimes modern medicine really does know best. But, we will never really know.

Comment #1.2 by: realist on 27 Feb 2012, 10:10 GMT

He had surgery before that 2005 speech. If his Gerson style diet had worked he wouldn't have needed the surgery. Jobs later said he regretted not getting the surgery immediately after being diagnosed because if he had he would have lived longer.


Comment #2 by: Gerson specialist on 22 Oct 2011, 16:30 UTC reply to this comment

Steve Jobs declared two years after being diagnosed with cancer, that the diet he was on had cured his cancer. He went off the diet that saved him, got into trouble again, and had to have a liver transplant. From there it was downhill to his death unfortunately.

Comment #2.1 by: realist on 27 Feb 2012, 10:06 GMT

Delaying the surgery is what did him in. His vegan diet didn't cure the cancer that's why he needed the surgery which prolonged his life


Comment #3 by: realist on 27 Feb 2012, 10:16 UTC reply to this comment

The lesson of this story is don't delay cancer surgery and rely on a vegan diet like Jobs did. A vegan diet may decrease your chances of getting cancer but it doesn't cure it.

Comment #3.1 by: Paulsgirl on 17 May 2012, 20:55 GMT

I disagree. I spent time in a health institute and know people that have cured their cancer with diet.

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