watsa_is_a_randian_hero Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 bloomberg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberty Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Just saw. Holy shit. Hope it's caught early and treatable :'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberty Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Official press releasE: http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/news/APR1712.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberty Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 To the Shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway: This is to let you know that I have been diagnosed with stage I prostate cancer. The good news is that I’ve been told by my doctors that my condition is not remotely lifethreatening or even debilitating in any meaningful way. I received my diagnosis last Wednesday. I then had a CAT scan and a bone scan on Thursday, followed by an MRI today. These tests showed no incidence of cancer elsewhere in my body. My doctors and I have decided on a two-month treatment of daily radiation to begin in mid-July. This regimen will restrict my travel during that period, but will not otherwise change my daily routine. I feel great – as if I were in my normal excellent health – and my energy level is 100 percent. I discovered the cancer because my PSA level (an indicator my doctors had regularly checked for many years) recently jumped beyond its normal elevation and a biopsy seemed warranted. I will let shareholders know immediately should my health situation change. Eventually, of course, it will; but I believe that day is a long way off. Warren E. Buffett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianMunger Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 From WebMD: "Stage I prostate cancers are small and have low Gleason scores. They usually grow very slowly and may never cause any symptoms or other health problems." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianMunger Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Carol Loomis account: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/04/17/warren-buffett-prostate-cancer/?source=yahoo_quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsad Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 All the best to Warren, the Buffett family and everyone at Berkshire! Get well soon! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racemize Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 In fact, I've heard it often isnt worth treating (I believe the board has recommended not checking anymore). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watsa_is_a_randian_hero Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 he probably recognizes that one of the biggest ways he can extend his life expectancy is to frequently be screened for things like this to catch them very early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hester Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 This really looks like a non-event, other than the fact that it reminds everyone that he is 81 years old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keerthiprasad Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I hope he stays healthy for many more decades! An early prostate CA diagnosis is relatively OK at this age. It is very common and men are much more likely to die with this, rather than because of it. PSA screening is not recommended over 75 yrs in the US. However, if it is being monitored it would be reasonable to continue to check. However, the risks/side effects of biopsy/treatment may not be reasonable in all cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombgrt Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 :( Hope he gets better soon. I'm confident he has at least a couple of good years left. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twacowfca Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 We have recently finished the final editing of our latest book on prostate problems including prostate cancer. I was the general editor of the book. Almost certainly, the best course of action for someone diagnosed with stage I prostate cancer is not to treat it in any way, but to engage in "active surveillance" to see if this usually indolent cancer shows any evidence of becoming aggressive. If the cancer shows evidence of becoming aggressive, as is the case about 15% of the time, it can be treated then with a high degree of success. Active surveillance is especially apropos for elderly men because life expectancy is such that the risk of prostate cancer progression within that life span is much lower than in younger men. Treatment has risks and serious side effects, and the overall mortality with active surveillance is no worse for stage I prostate cancer than with early treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berkshiremystery Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Guys, this seems as some non-event,... I'm not so worried. Actually my dad had some kind of benign prostate problems too,... probably for the last 10-15 years,... he is old, and still alive. His doctors told him that such small benign prostate problems have almost all elderly men in later life. If these problems are small and don't grow,... like some small... more widened prostate, as in his case, it can even go unchecked. He might rather get struck by a truck. So,... I'm rather worried about our nice board member, who wrote the header of this message thread in "capital letters". I guess that he had some good intentions to show us these urgent news. But I personally stay calm about this. I feel, somebody might rather get some eye sickness reading those capital letters,... at least my head still spins ::) I urge you to stay calm, and sleep peacefully tonight,... as I will. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberty Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 So,... I'm rather worried about our nice board member, who wrote the header of this message thread in "capital letters". I guess that he had some good intentions to show us these urgent news. But I personally stay calm about this. I feel, somebody might rather get some eye sickness reading those capital letters,... at least my head still spins ::) I think that's just a cut & paste of the bloomberg headline, which was in caps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berkshiremystery Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 So,... I'm rather worried about our nice board member, who wrote the header of this message thread in "capital letters". I guess that he had some good intentions to show us these urgent news. But I personally stay calm about this. I feel, somebody might rather get some eye sickness reading those capital letters,... at least my head still spins ::) I think that's just a cut & paste of the bloomberg headline, which was in caps. I guess so,... There are more elderly men with the same problems, and they still dance around happily. http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2012/04/17/high-profile-figures-who-beat-prostate-cancer/?mod=yahoo_hs <snip>.... Michael Milken – The former junk bond giant founded the Prostate Cancer Foundation in 1993 after he was diagnosed with the disease. Joe Torre – The former Yankee’s manager was diagnosed in 1999, and went on to win the World Series that year while publicly becoming a face for fighting the disease. Nelson Mandela – In 2001, at the age of 83, the former South African leader was diagnosed. He is still living at 93. Rudy Giuliani – The former New York mayor was diagnosed mid senate run in 2000. Arnold Palmer – The golfing legend was operated on in 1997, already in his 60s, and is still golfing today. His name is on the Eisenhower Medical Center’s Arnold Palmer Prostate Cancer Center. Colin Powell – Diagnosed while secretary of state, continued in office. ...</snip> ---------- Buffett’s Cancer No Reason to Sell Berkshire: Tilson Tilson has done some Internet research and tells us, “I’m relieved to tell you the 5 year survival rate for stage 1 prostate cancer is 99.9%." http://www.cnbc.com/id/47078965?__source=yahoo%7Cheadline%7Cquote%7Ctext%7C&par=yahoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookie71 Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 twacowfca, Waht you said is exactly what my docter told me several years ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hielko Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 Funny how a total non news item removes a few billion in market value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redskin Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 I'm hoping for another strong 15 years out of Buffett. However, on the date of Warren's death, there may be a fantastic opportunity for the Berkshire board to utilize the buyback. This will pay dividends to shareholders for years in to the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberty Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 Funny how a total non news item removes a few billion in market value. Well, that's Mr. Market for you. But at the same time, those of us who have never had to deal with this type of cancer wont know at first how benign it is... So I can understand how the first reaction can be out of proportion, but it's the media's job to provide context and for people to do their research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txlaw Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 Nice to hear the comments that this is not a big deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watsa_is_a_randian_hero Posted April 18, 2012 Author Share Posted April 18, 2012 So,... I'm rather worried about our nice board member, who wrote the header of this message thread in "capital letters". I guess that he had some good intentions to show us these urgent news. But I personally stay calm about this. I feel, somebody might rather get some eye sickness reading those capital letters,... at least my head still spins ::) I think that's just a cut & paste of the bloomberg headline, which was in caps. all caps was copy/paste from bloomberg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubuy2wron Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 Warren you are going to tap dance your way to work for many years to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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