Jack layton cancer what kind speculation

In the coming weeks, the schedule of my treatment regime means I may have a bit more time to catch the Olympics. The hard work and drive of our Canadian athletes will be an inspiration. I want to assure my constituents and the Canadian public that this will in not impede my ability to serve as either the Member of Parliament for Toronto Danforth or as leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada.

I have an amazing team, great friends and a loving, supportive family. And my wife Olivia knows a thing or two about taking on cancer, having been diagnosed with thyroid cancer just a few years ago. She won her battle and so will I. Recently, the Party marked the 7th anniversary of my becoming leader.

Layton added a fashionable accessory — a cane. Then, on Monday of this week, Mr. Layton revealed that he has a "new, non-prostate cancer that will require further treatment. It was a bombshell, particularly because the NDP Leader looked so gaunt and spoke in a weak, raspy voice. Layton said he began suffering "stiffness and pain" again in June and, retrospectively, journalists recognized he had not been well for a while. During the Canada Day reception at Stornoway, the residence of the leader of the Official Opposition, the normally energetic politician remained seated.

He did not participate in any of the events related to the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. During the Gay Pride parade in Toronto, Mr.

Layton — a life-long cyclist and runner — sat in a rickshaw and waved to the crowd instead of wading in. Then, on July 25, came his news conference. So, back to the issue at hand: Has Mr. Layton been forthcoming enough about his health status? Brad Lavigne, Mr. Layton's principal secretary, said the public already knows plenty. He told The Canadian Press that he has tried to balance the need to "provide the public relevant information" with "holding back information of a private nature.

Sorry, but the NDP has failed to get the balance right. The cameras don't need to follow Mr. Layton into surgery, but we deserve to know a lot more than we've been told to date. Saying that Mr. Layton has a "new, non-prostate cancer" is far too vague. It's unacceptable fudging.

Does he have a second cancer that is unrelated to his prostate cancer? Or has his cancer metastasized — meaning it has moved elsewhere in the body? These are important details. Today, men with prostate cancer have a five-year survival rate that hovers around 90 per cent. But when prostate cancer metastasizes, the survival rate drops below 10 per cent.

When prostate cancer spreads, it tends to move to the bones — the pelvis and hips in particular. Are Mr. Layton's stiffness and hip problems cancer-related? As NDP Leader Jack Layton announced he's facing his second bout of cancer in a year and a half , there are signs his party is rattled. Layton said Monday he's taking time off to focus on treatment, though he wouldn't say what kind of cancer he now has. The reluctance of NDP members of Parliament to talk about Layton after the announcement could be a reflection of how seriously the party takes the threat to his health and to the future of the party itself.

Another cancelled a local radio interview scheduled for Tuesday. NDP staff have been protective of Layton, gently taking on reporters for mentioning his cane in stories or using shots of him sweating due to the pain of standing on a bad hip. They genuinely like Layton and are worried about his health. And they've been forced to brush off questions from reporters, both on and off-the-record, since he revealed his first diagnosis in February Layton hosted the press gallery at his new home at the end of June, but spent most of it sitting at a table and letting journalists go to him.

As it ended, he hobbled away on his cane, flanked by a staffer and his wife, MP Olivia Chow, looking older than He was the face of the party's recent election campaign. His leadership numbers had always been strong, but the party's popularity only caught up with his personal popularity in the last campaign. He's credited with the NDP's big gains in Quebec. He's critical through his long-term vision for a modern political party that can sustain itself regardless of who's in charge.