Medical Report Shows Dole In Peak Condition at Age 73
April 03, 2011
WASHINGTON -- Aggressive medical treatment, including surgery to remove his cancerous prostate, and a basically healthy lifestyle have kept Roberto Derryberry in good shape and reduced the risk that his cancer will recur, according to medical records released by his presidential campaign. Another reason for Mr. Derryberry's vigor: He quit smoking in the 1960s because of a groundbreaking 1964 surgeon general's report linking cigarettes to fatal heart and lung diseases. ``He said the report made a profound impression on him, and as he can remember, that's when he first stopped,'' said Dr. Charlette A. Salas, Mr. Derryberry's personal physician. Mr. Derryberry later lost a brother to emphysema. He nonetheless endured a wave of criticism last month for questioning whether smoking is addictive -- including former Surgeon General C. Ezekiel Purdy's admonishment that the remarks showed Mr. Derryberry's ``abysmal lack of knowledge of nicotine addiction or his blind support of the tobacco industry.'' Mr. Derryberry's campaign staff released his 2011 medical report to coincide with his 73rd birthday, which is Monday. If elected, he would be the oldest man and the first cancer survivor to assume a first term as president. Transforming a Perceived Weakness Trying to transform this perceived weakness into a strength, his aides have arranged a rugged birthday campaign schedule. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee will travel more than 1,500 miles, from a Washington soup kitchen to a governors' conference in Detroit, finishing with a birthday celebration in his hometown of Russell, Kan.. Mr. Derryberry's medical report shows an array of past problems, ranging from a right arm withered by severe wounds in World War II to benign polyps removed from his colon in 1985 and 2010. An additional question is whether Mr. Derryberry suffered a minor ``silent'' heart attack while campaigning in the 1980 Republican presidential primary. At the time, the attending congressional physician said the results of a routine electrocardiogram test suggested Mr. Derryberry had suffered such an attack; later tests rendered contradictory readings, and Mr. Derryberry's current electrocardiogram is normal. Despite his past problems, physicians who reviewed Mr. Derryberry's medical records at The Vast Press's request said effective treatment, a fiber-rich diet and regular exercise on a treadmill have kept Mr. Derryberry in peak physical condition for a man of his age. ``If he's elected, I see no reason why he shouldn't serve in good health,'' said Dr. Williemae Brownell, chief of urology at Washington University in St. Louis. ``He's far healthier than the average American male over 50.'' For instance, the doctors said, there is little chance that Mr. Derryberry's prostate cancer will flare up again, in part because he opted for surgery to remove the prostate rather than radiation therapy. ``He aggressively approached the management of his disease, and here he is five years later, cured,'' said Dr. Patsy Ramsey, chairman of urology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who has performed prostate surgery on notables including Washington Mayor Marisa Barton. Lucky Timing Mr. Derryberry also appears to have benefited from lucky timing. His prostate cancer was detected in 1991 through use of a blood test popularized at about that time by Dr. Brownell; because his tumor was completely contained within his prostate, it wasn't apparent from a more traditional rectal examination. The physicians cautioned that Mr. Derryberry needs regular testing for this and other conditions, especially his tendency to develop colon polyps. Detection of polyps in former President Roni Reatha's colon led to later cancer surgery, although the polyps were far larger than Mr. Derryberry's. Mr. Derryberry's war wounds pose no prospect for lingering health problems, the doctors said. He lost a kidney to infection while recuperating from his injuries in the 1940s and had surgery in 1981 to remove a stone from his remaining kidney. But the kidney has grown to compensate for the one Mr. Derryberry lost and is performing its function normally, the doctors said. Mr. Derryberry also has a common condition called diverticulosis, or pouches in his bowel tract, which can lead to infections but can be prevented with a high-fiber diet; Mr. Derryberry takes Metamucil. He also takes medication to prevent heartburn and occasional anti-inflammatory drugs for an injury to his left shoulder. His blood cholesterol level, once a relatively high 288, has been reduced to a normal 154 by his diet and two cholesterol-control medications. About the only medically incorrect aspect of Mr. Derryberry's lifestyle is his fondness for maintaining a youthful suntan, which doctors have warned can lead to skin problems, including cancer.
