Victor Davis Hanson Discusses Health Update

Jack Fowler: Early this morning, around three or four o’clock, Victor sent me a text. It was quite uplifting news. Victor, do you want to share that before we dive into today’s show?

Victor Davis Hanson: Sure, let me explain. I recently had a surgery where, they removed something—hopefully it’s all gone now. They took out a lot of my lung as well. I had this mucinous adenoma carcinoma, which is, well, rather peculiar. And the details are kind of stuck in my head, but I don’t mean to sound all-knowing.

Fowler: Doctor Hanson.

Hanson: You know, it’s funny. People with PhDs typically don’t call themselves “doctor” in polite conversation.

What’s interesting is the KRAS G 12-R mutation, which is rare—one in two hundred, to be exact. Unfortunately, it’s often found in the pancreas, leading to concerns that it could have originated from there.

They have this new test, the grail test, which a lot of people might have heard about. It detects circulating DNA of various cancers before they turn into tumors. However, it didn’t work for me. When they found this mass back in August, I took that test, but it came back negative.

They also scanned the area with an MRI and a CAT scan, but at that time, it was likely malignant. The test didn’t pick that up. They claim it’s 98% accurate, but it missed the mark on my case. The new test, called Signa Terra, is different. It identifies the tumor’s signature mutation and, in my case, there was also a nasty one called STK.

These mutations are aggressive and have a higher chance of recurrence, making treatment options limited. If it comes back, traditional immunotherapy or chemotherapy wouldn’t be very effective. Hence, it’s crucial to remove it completely. The new test builds on this idea by tracking any trace of the tumor’s DNA in my bloodstream after surgery.

After a month, if any trace shows up, it signals trouble. If it were positive, I guess I might have had to resort to some drastic chemotherapy, even though it might only work marginally—perhaps a five to ten percent efficacy rate.

Still recovering from significant blood loss and anemia, I wasn’t looking forward to that scenario. If it’s negative, that suggests I likely don’t have a tumor. Although given the tricky nature of the mucinous strain, that could be a challenge. But then again, it means I’ll have to keep a close watch on things every four to five months with follow-up tests.

Statistically, if I get a negative initial test after surgery, that’s a positive sign. The chances of it showing up again decrease with each negative test. I learned that four out of ten patients with this type of tumor experience a recurrence. Unfortunately, the strain I have makes treatment options quite limited.

It usually reappears either in the brain, liver, or pancreas.

I had a surreal dream where I was floating and asked someone if I was dead or alive. They responded, “I don’t know, but you should wake up.” And that led to days of anxiety, as the results of this test would determine the entire course of my postoperative treatment. Chemo or not? Good prognosis or bad? Those were massive stakes.

As it turns out, I was quite neurotic about it. Then I saw a big red notification saying, “Check results,” which only fueled my concern. Why the red? Was I overthinking it?

Fowler: Totally understandable.

Hanson: So, I checked it out. Curiously, they wouldn’t show the results immediately. I had to read through what they meant first, almost as a disclaimer against jumping to conclusions.

After going through that, I finally saw the results: negative. I felt a sense of relief around 3:30-4 AM.

Fowler: That’s fantastic news. It seems you can avoid preventive chemo for now.

Hanson: Honestly, I’m not sure I could have handled it. Between my lingering heart issues from blood loss and the transfusions, it’s been a shaky road. But yes, I am getting better. After I left the hospital, I couldn’t walk more than 300 steps, and now my wife and I managed to walk 7,000 steps two days in a row.

I still can’t drive, but it’s only been seven weeks. I consulted with two excellent surgeons—Dr. Robert Cerfolio from NYU and Dr. Barry from Stanford—both of whom offered tremendous support. They reassured me that recovery takes longer after such extensive procedures, especially with the complications I had.

Dr. Barry skillfully resolved my situation after quite a bit of blood loss. It’s reminiscent of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ordeal a few years back when he faced severe complications during surgery for a heart issue.

Fowler: Yep, it’s a scary thought.

Hanson: The support I’ve received has been incredible. I felt every prayer sent my way, and I know that sounds a bit over the top, but it genuinely overwhelmed me. I’ve probably received notes from thousands of people. Some lovely calligraphy, beautiful letters of encouragement. I was touched by an 84-year-old man talking about his own journey of survival after being told he had only weeks to live.

Fowler: It’s heartwarming to see that level of kindness towards you.

Hanson: Absolutely. I suggested to my wife that we should bring back cursive writing in schools. It feels so much more personal than typing.

My mother was a judge who passed away from cancer too early, and my daughter also faced the same battle. One particularly kind justice from the court even brought a delicious pie and ice cream to our home one day, which was a lovely surprise.

Fowler: Those thoughtful gestures really matter.

Hanson: Indeed. Just yesterday, they dropped off homemade cookies along with more ice cream, and I feel incredibly grateful.

Fowler: We’re glad to have you with us.