Las Vegas NowThe Medical Side of Two Tragedies

The Medical Side of Two Tragedies

Two tragic deaths on the same day left fans of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett drained emotionally. Quite a bit has been said about both people, but tonight I think you might be interested in the medical aspects of both deaths.

Farrah Fawcett's death was not unexpected.  She'd been very candid about her cancer, which is admirable.  Anytime a celebrity can call attention to their own medical struggle, it helps other people.  Fawcett had anal cancer, which is a relatively rare form of cancer.  According to the experts, just over 5,000 Americans will be diagnosed with anal cancer this year. 700 will die of it. You can read more about Fawcett's fight against cancer in this article from a reliable source:

http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20090623/farrah-fawcett-obit

Michael Jackson's death is still somewhat of a mystery, although the Los Angeles coroner has ruled out trauma or foul play.  The first reports from paramedics talked about "sudden cardiac arrest"(SCA), which is distinct from a heart attack, but can be caused by one. Without proper medical care, SCA will kill a person with minutes.  It is a massive malfunction of the heart.  Surprisingly, cardiac arrest can be a person's very first heart problem. The following article explains that "in 30% to 50% of cardiac arrests, that event is the first manifestation of underlying heart disease."

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20090625/michael-jacksons-reported-cardiac-arrest