The CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co. has been diagnosed with throat cancer, but assures that there is a 90% chance of successful recovery.
As the CEO of one of the largest U.S. banks, Jamie Dimon has a lot on his plate already. Now the 58-year old will have to go through eight weeks of radiation and chemotherapy at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
The treatment involves 15 minutes of X-ray radiation daily, five times a week, and drug infusions weekly for three weeks, according to the leader of the head-neck oncology program at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Robert Haddad. Such treatment is not a walk in the park, but it does produce promising results, says Dimon.
Because his cancer was caught early on, Dimon says his prognosis is "excellent." Throat tumors have a high cure rate when caught early. The tumors affect the back of the tongue and throat, the tonsils or the roof of the mouth to be called throat cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many cases of oropharyngeal (throat) cancer are linked to human papillomavirus, smoking and high alcohol consumption. Depending on the link and the cause of throat cancer, the treatment outcome varies. For example, for cancers induced by HPV, there is a significantly higher chance of successful therapy than there is for cancers induced by smoking, according to oncologist Gregory Masters of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
The cause of Dimon's throat cancer has not been released to the public, but JPMorgan spokesman Joe Evangelisti says that Dimon does not smoke.
In a message to colleagues and shareholders, Dimon says, "The cancer is confined to the original site and the adjacent lymph nodes on the right side of my neck. Importantly, there is no evidence of cancer elsewhere in my body."
The side effects of radiation can include reddening and soreness in the throat, often requiring painkillers and diet modifications. According to a consultant oncologist, Christopher Nutting, of London's Royal Marsden cancer center, Dimon may be tired and in substantial pain during his treatment, making keynote speeches difficult.
But Dimon says that while his travel plans will be reduced, due to the treatment side effects and the nature of the treatment schedule, he will remain active and run the company "as normal."
