Victor Davis Hanson’s Health Update

Victor Davis Hanson, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, has shared that he survived a significant arterial bleeding incident after undergoing surgery to excise a cancerous tumor. His friend, Jack Fowler, made this announcement on Thursday.

Hanson revealed on December 30 that he would have surgery to remove a malignant lung tumor, a diagnosis that took several months to reach. After surgery, he experienced unexpected bleeding in the recovery room, necessitating emergency intervention. Fortunately, he is now on the mend.

Fowler conveyed Hanson’s message, stating, “My surgery to remove the cancer on December 30, a little over two weeks ago, was successful. However, as sometimes happens (at my age of 72), I had an unforeseen arterial bleed in the recovery room. I was fortunate that the medical team quickly took action, brought me back into surgery, and provided several blood transfusions that aided my recovery.”

In his own words, Hanson shared, “I am doing well after my lung cancer surgery, but I continue to deal with the residual effects of extended anesthesia from both surgeries, along with blood loss, anemia, and some AFIB, which largely present themselves as fatigue and weakness.”

Hanson has also faced ongoing health challenges stemming from the flu and sinus infections he contracted in March 2025. As his condition progressed, he underwent extensive testing, and physicians eventually found a rare type of lung cancer, often mistaken for pneumonia in imaging studies.

Despite battling blood loss and fatigue, Hanson appears optimistic about his recovery. Tests of lymph nodes and samples taken during surgery came back clear of malignancy, and a preoperative scan indicated no spreading of the disease.

He noted, “Although this rare cancer in non-smokers and the complications during recovery are concerning, there’s still a lot to be hopeful about.”