Presidential advisor Hamilton Jordan, 63, dies of mesothelioma cancer

Hamilton Jordan, President Jimmy Carter’s chief of staff, died of mesothelioma cancer on May 20th, 2008, at his home in Atlanta. He was 63.

Mr. Jordan was a strong advocate for cancer research, and valiantly fought four different forms of cancer himself in the last 24 years, including non-Hodgkins lymphoma, prostate cancer and skin cancer. But it was mesothelioma, the asbestos-related cancer of the lungs and internal organs, that claimed his life.

Jordan attributed his lymphoma to Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War. That is where he could also have been exposed to asbestos, the primary cause of mesothelioma. It is well documented that naval shipyard and other military compound personnel, especially during WW II and on through the Vietnam War, have a high incidence of mesothelioma, which can take decades to develop.

Jordan’s active participation in the health community is well-known, and he often advised cancer patients to empower themselves with information. He urged patients to take a proactive posture, and in his 2001 memoir, “No Such Thing as a Bad Day,” he introduced his “Top 10 Tips for Cancer Patients.”

Jordan, a three-time cancer survivor, identified these 10 Tips in a recent interview with WebMD, an online health Web site whose motto is “Better Information. Better Health.”

Here they are:

No. 1: Be an active partner in the medical decisions that are made about your life.

Don’t be passive. Learn about your disease, and participate in the decisions that are made . . . For example with my lymphoma, if I would have accepted the first treatment offered, I’d be dead today. It was assumed that I only had a mass in my chest. I later learned that the lymphoma was all through my body.

No. 2: Seek and know the truth about your illness, and prognosis.

If you don’t have the facts, and don’t know the truth, you won’t make good decisions. It takes courage to ask questions about statistics and your prognosis.

No. 3: Get a second opinion.

We wouldn’t buy the first computer or cellphone we looked at. Shop around when your life is at stake….I got second opinions on all of my cancers.

No. 4: Determine upfront how broad or narrow your physicians’ experience is.

If you have something that your doctor says, “I’ve never seen this before,” get another doctor. You want your doctor to be very familiar with your disease.

No. 5: If you have a poor prognosis, or a rare form of cancer, try to get to a center of excellence.

If your doctor doesn’t believe he or she can cure you, you won’t believe you’ll be cured.

No. 6: Do not allow your caregivers to project their values, goals and expectations onto you.

In my book I tell the story of a 68-year-old man who was diagnosed with PCa (prostate cancer). And this man is in very good health other than the PCa. His 35-year-old doctor reasoned that since his life expectancy was only five or six years, that he recommended that the man do nothing for his PCa and told him it would take the PCa four or five years to kill him. This man wanted to live to be 80 or 85. He didn’t accept that. He had his prostate removed, and many years later he’s in good health, and probably will live to be 80 or 85. Don’t let your doctor project his or her expectations in life out on you.

No. 7: Understand the economics of cancer care.

You don’t want to be in a situation where your doctor wants to run a $150 test that your insurance doesn’t cover, but it contains critical information for making your diagnosis or deciding treatment. You need to understand what your insurance covers, and let your doctor know what you’re willing to do to supplement that coverage to get a good diagnosis, and the best possible treatment. If your doctor says that he wants to run another test, but insurance won’t pay for it, find out what it is. Why does he want to run it? Find out the cost, and determine whether you should pay it yourself. It might save your life.

No. 8: Ultimately, find a doctor that you trust and believe in.

Find a doctor with a fighting spirit, and who thinks that they can cure you. You tend to find doctors that reflect your own attitude. I always found doctors that liked the fact I was aggressive and going to fight for my life. They didn’t object to my asking a lot of questions.

No. 9: Treat your mind as well as your body.

Just because we can’t quantify, and don’t understand the power of the mind, to deal with disease, it doesn’t mean that attitude and the will to live is not a powerful, powerful force in the course of an illness.

No. 10: Your attitude and beliefs are your most powerful weapon against cancer.

I believe that deeply. There have been studies that show when you are happy and engaged and positive, your immune system is at its strongest. When you are depressed or unhappy, your immune system is weakened.

Seek justice

Government sources estimate that in the next decade more than 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with the deadliest form of asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma. This disease is most often the result of industrial workplace exposure to asbestos – and usually contracted through employers’ blatant disregard for health and safety.

That’s why people diagnosed with mesothelioma and their family members have strong cases in court. If you have a mesothelioma injury, please complete the form on this page for a free evaluation of your legal rights. There is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict

Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of workers for 25 years – longer than most law firms in the nation. And in that time its attorneys have won more than a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for its clients.