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- Jul 25, 2008
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You misunderstood. I'm not talking about being predisposed to cancer. Good genes refers to those who can smoke 2 packs a day for 50 years and still be hale and hearty.
My 93 year old neighbor is one such person. He's had all sorts of growths removed over the years and not a single one has been malignant. He worked with asbestos when he was young and smoked like a chimney till diagnosed with COPD a few years ago.
He's been bombarded with carcinogens from all angles and still no cancer.
my friend of 35 years just passed away this summer of cancer related to his lungs. he didn't smoke, he didn't drink alcohol (very devout christian), he travelled widely, ate healthy and well as he retired early as a co-founder of a chip-making company. in fact, he was so good at design, process and manufacture to extract the highest "yield" in wafer fabrication that almost all old guards in silicon valley knew him. if there were to be an award for "best yield" consistently, he would win it. when he left the company, it floundered as a foundry and went into receivership. the campus they once owned is now in the hands of apple with plans for a new campus at orchard park drive. ceo's and cto's of foundries in the valley and taiwan would consult him for advice on how to achieve high yields. he was the yield king. anyway, his cancer was detected when he was around 60, still prime in his retirement, almost like clockwork as his dad, uncle, and only brother suffered the same fate. it ran in the family, only on the male side. it was a hereditary condition in the genes that led to late malignant mutation in midlife which led to cancer. the source area was both lungs, just like what happened to his dad, uncle, and brother. and being a non smoker, he wasn't prepared or did it cross his mind. when discovered, it was already stage 4. meanwhile, folks and friends within his family and religious circles still dismiss the idea that his male descendants are potentially in the line of fire. any discussion on dna and genes with the highly religious and scientifically-obtused will fall on deaf ears. granted this case is only one grass in a haystack, a statistically insignificant number, but what a loss. we lost the "yield king" of the valley. and this is a tribute to my friend, jh.
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