Look at before and after pictures of Presidents. Clinton and W. both aged far more than 8 years during their time in office.

It’s hard enough to deal with the job when you’re young and vital. The prospect of health issues like heart problems and cancer - which require time and energy to deal with - are a serious concern for anyone who wants this all-consuming job.

most people just don’t devolve into melanoma

To have multiple recurrences goes to to a substantially
impaired immune system beyond that simply dermatological.
[This is fairly new information on this particular malignancy.]

So this should have legs.

I guess especially to the choice for VP?
If these implications bear out one really must have (demand) disclosure.

I think in McCain’s case, since he’s a vet and a Senator and has a past history of melanoma, that his situation is being tracked very closely, and I would expect that he had a very thorough checkup before he entered the race. If I were voting Republican in the fall, I would want the medical records released with sufficient time to be able to formulate a backup plan in case McCain’s health tanks before the election (due to the melanoma history), but I would worry more about his known eccentricities than his age.

BTW, does anyone remember how long after the election Dukakis started having health problems?

I think you mean “hyena.”

That all aside, it’s quite probable that he’d make it through 4, possibly 8 years without real difficulty. The melanoma probably won’t recur and he’s otherwise healthy. Early 70s isn’t that old anymore. I wouldn’t not vote for him because of his health. I wouldn’t vote for him because of his policies and I would certainly urge him (if he asked me) to pick his VP with care, but I haven’t yet seen any health issues that make his candidacy unreasonable.

Seconding calling “bunnies” on Soopermouse. This is not the first time s/he has concern-trolled hir little heart out in a Pandagon thread.

And, might I add, I find the “chemo-brain” comment incredibly offensive. I’ve had chemo brain. It never caused me to do anything particularly destructive other than miss a few appointments. Mostly chemo-brain makes you want to sleep, or watch DVD’s; stuff a President oughtn’t to be doing all day, but certainly not NUKES! BOOGA-BOOGA!

Hopefully skirting ableism, being President of the United States is a bit different than being President of Dewey, Cheatham and Howe, Inc. or even a state governor or House representative. Health matters, if nothing else because a President who dies in office is succeeded by his/her VP. It matters to me if a candidate’s health is shaky; statistically, a cancer survivor in his 70’s is more likely to die than someone who has never had cancer and is in his 40’s.

Finally, yes, why was Elizabeth Edwards’ cancer such an issue whereas John McCain’s is not? Mrs. Edwards wasn’t even running for POTUS - her husband was. *eyeroll*

Anybody that cannot tell the difference in importance between the age/health of a presidential candidate and the sex/color of a presidential candidate, well…. just too stupid to vote.

IMHO.

My grandpa, who had access to all the health care that money could buy and very good long-term health (and, very good “genetic” health as well–parents who lived long lives with few medical problems) went from an intelligent, energetic man to a man who nobody would want holding any political office in less than 4 years during his 70s (recently). It wasn’t even just 1 issue, but a collection of sudden-onset health issues that tore him apart both mentally and physically.

Having worked extensively with orthopedic oncology records, it isn’t a terribly accurate statement either.

That’s because many neoplasms are age specific and NOT older-age specific. Osteosarcoma is a disease of some kids, lots of teens, and a few older people (often secondary to radiation treatment).

Chondrosarcoma is largely a disease of mid-life. The few elders with latent benign lesions which ultimately undergo sarcomatous transformations are generally low-grade cases and have a much higher survival rate than the mid-life emergent cases.

Summary statement: age-related mortality of patients living with cancer is strongly dependent on the type of primary neoplasm.

With almost any other cancer he would be. But melanoma has a nasty way of recurring up to 20 years after the primary melanoma occurs. So, unfortunately, it may still be relevant. Assuming he hasn’t had any recurrences since 2000 (which we don’t know, since he hasn’t released his records), his chances are relatively good, but I also hope that he picks a VP based on who he thinks would be good at running the country if he dies, not on who he thinks will help him get elected. But I would say that even if he were a perfectly healthy 35 year old: being president is a dangerous job.