Steve Jobs resigns forced by pancreatic cancer?

Steve Jobs resigned as Apple’s CEO. Tim Cook is the new CEO.

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Steve Jobs, the man who had visions with people loving the iPod (2001), iPhone (2007), iPad (2010), has resigned from Apple CEO, possibly because of an [googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”dreapta”] aggravation caused by pancreatic cancer.

Steve Jobs has been perceived as an technology’s oracle, thus his health and medical condition have been considered strong related with Apple’s stock position. Right after he announced his retirement as CEO, Apple Inc. (AAPL) shares dropped fell 5.4 percent and Walt Disney Co. (DIS) stock fell 1.5 percent.

Steve Jobs was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer (pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor) in 2004. Since then he only took three medical leaves from company. He underwent surgery (pancreaticoduodenectomy) intended to cure the malignancy, and a liver transplant in 2009.

Perhaps  Steve Jobs pancreatic cancer forces resignation.

“About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn’t even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. […]

[googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]I lived with that diagnosis all day.[…] I had a biopsy […] I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.” Said Steve Jobs (Stanford Commencement speech 2005).

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor develops from hormone-producing cells (islet cell) of the pancreas. Around 5% of the pancreatic cancers diagnosed each year are neuroendocrine. It is less aggressive and more curable than other types of pancreatic cancer, but if the cancer metastasizes (spreads into other organs), the survival rate decrease dramatically.

The researchers of Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University have deciphered the genetic code of neuroendocrine tumors. This open the way for personalized cancer therapy. Also, this year, Food and Drug Administration approved two new drugs for neuroendocrine tumors, sunitinib and everolimus.

The billionaire with $1 salary a year co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976. In 1985 Steve Jobs was head of the Macintosh division and he was fired by John Scully who was Apple CEO.[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]

Then he founded NeXT Computer, bought Pixar, which would be bought by Disney, making Steve Jobs Disney’s largest single shareholder with (around 7 percent). In 1996 Apple bought NeXT and Jobs returned to the company.

The youth, perseverance, vision, and hard work of the man who “never graduated from college” made Time (1982) to describe him as “the most famous maestro of the micro”. Also, Steve Jobs has been a character played by Noah Wyle in Triumph of the Nerds (1996), Nerds 2.0.1 (1998), Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999).