Doug Davis has thyroid cancer.

[JS22]

Just heard this on KTAR 620.

Here's some more info that I was able to find using Google News:

PHOENIX -- The D-backs' excitement about the 2008 season opener was tempered on Friday when they learned that left-hander Doug Davis had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

The details have not yet been released and the club was planning a press conference later on Friday.

Davis is expected to make his scheduled exhibition start Friday night and probably will make a couple of regular season starts before undergoing surgery.

Davis, 32, is one of the more popular players in the Arizona clubhouse. His teammates appreciate the hard work he puts into his between starts program, including extensive video and statistical scouting.

Davis was acquired by the D-backs from the Brewers in November 2006 and the Phoenix-area resident promptly signed a three-year, $22 million extension that runs through 2009.

A durable pitcher, Davis was 13-12 with a 4.25 ERA in 33 starts in 2007. It was the fourth straight season in which he had posted double-digit wins and pitched 192 or more innings.

Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/ne...t_id=2463609&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Terrible news. But hopefully everything turns out fine for him.

 

[The Commish]

Just saw that. Too bad for DD, I hope he makes a full recovery. We may see Max Scherzer come up sooner than we thought - either to take a rotation spot or move to the bullpen if Juan Cruz gets the starts.

 

[bankybruce]

Just saw that. Too bad for DD, I hope he'll make a full recovery. We may see Max Scherzer come up sooner than we thought - either to take a rotation spot or move to the bullpen if Juan Cruz gets the starts.

Johnson will be ready by the 15th they said today and that I bet he will hold off until the and Edgar Gonzalez should stay in the rotation for a while then. I also heard that if the closer situation does not work itself out with who we got, Max could be called upon to fill that roll.

 

[bankybruce]

If he is going ot make a couple of starts, I have a feeling he will be fine and will miss a very short amount of time.


I still hope all goes well.

 

[devilfan02]

This is horrible news

 

[Nash2Amare]

Wish him the best through the process.

 

[devilfan02]

Diamondbacks left-hander Doug Davis has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, team President Derrick Hall confirmed Friday afternoon.

Hall said Davis is planning to make his scheduled start at Chase Field tonight but will address the media at some point today, either before or after.

Davis is expected to make his next few starts, Hall said, before undergoing surgery sometime within the next three weeks.

“We’re not sure about the timetable after that,” Hall said. “We’re deeply saddened and concerned for Doug but we’re still in the process of collecting facts and applying that to timing.”

There are 18,000 cases of thyroid cancer annually in the U.S., according to webmd.com, and most patients are cured or live many years with the disease. The thyroid is located in the front of the neck.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/0328davis.html

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Doug Davis has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, team president Derrick Hall said.




Davis is planning on making his scheduled start in an exhibition game Friday against the Colorado Rockies. He will address the media afterward.

Davis will make his first start of the regular season April 3 against Cincinnati and an April 8 start at Los Angeles. He will undergo surgery April 10 and is expected to miss about a month afterward, his father, Mike, said Friday at Chase Field.

"Doug has beaten a lot of things in his life. … This is probably the worst, but he has come back," Mike Davis said.

"He has a great mind-set. He wants to start. He wants to do his job. He is very set on this."
D-Backs manager Bob Melvin confirmed the diagnosis and said, "Obviously our thoughts and our prayers are with him."

"All of us are there with him in his corner," D-Backs relieverBrandon Lyon said. "We don't really understand. We only got to talk to him last night a little bit about it at dinner."

Doctors found a lump in Davis' throat last week, and a biopsy disclosed cancer on Monday.

Davis was 13-12 in 33 starts with a 4.25 ERA as Arizona won the National League West and advanced to the NL Championship Series before losing to the Rockies in four games.

According to the webmd.com Web site, there are 18,000 annual cases of thyroid cancer in the U.S. Most patients are cured or live many years with the disease.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3318132

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

That's very sad news, hopefully he will be alright.

 

[crisper57]

My brother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer 3 years ago. It is the slowest-developing cancer, so it is relatively easy to treat.

Typically they try to remove half the thyroid and let the other half function. IF both sides are cancerous, they remove the whole thing and put you on meds to regulate your hormones for life. There is radiation involved in the treatment as well.

The thing that sucks about this cancer for athletes is that it requires a zero-sodium diet so they can properly treat and diagnose the problem. Zero-sodium means no processed foods, no sauces, etc. My brother dropped alot of weight just from this diet alone.

After a few weeks, everything was back to normal, but it requires yearly checkups and about 2 weeks of zero sodium leading up to those checkups. Each time, the weight loss is significant.

My brother was told this was the "best" kind of cancer to get because it is so slow-spreading and so treatable. I have no doubt Doug will bounce back. Our family's prayers go out to him.

 

[Lefty]

Best of luck with a 100% recovery.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

This is very sad on many levels least of all which is our baseball team.

Take whatever time it takes to get better and my prayers are with you.

 

[Dback Jon]

Best wishes to DD - this sucks.

 

[BC867]

We were at the game last Sunday vs. the Brewers. Doug just did not seem on top of his game.

Tonight -- 8 runs on 9 hits in 2 2/3 innings. Imagine what's weighing on his mind.

Baseball doesn't come before cancer. Let him feel good about himself before the surgery. Forget those two starts.

Our best wishes go to DD and his family during this trying time.

 

[overseascardfan]

I will pray for him and his family and wish him the best. I just don't see why he will make another couple of starts, baseball should seem really insignificant at this point him.

 

[HooverDam]

I will pray for him and his family and wish him the best. I just don't see why he will make another couple of starts, baseball should seem really insignificant at this point him.

Because why not? Should he sit at home and mope? The doctors don't think it'll effect his pitching or inhibit him from doing his job (they caught it early, he'll need time off to recovery from surgery, not so much to be ill).

 

[PoolBoy]

he's going to kick the **** out of cancer. davis is a trooper.

 

[overseascardfan]

Because why not? Should he sit at home and mope? The doctors don't think it'll effect his pitching or inhibit him from doing his job (they caught it early, he'll need time off to recovery from surgery, not so much to be ill).

I don't know about you but if I was diagnosed with cancer treatable or not my mind would not be on baseball, sorry if that disappoints you. I wouldn't mope but get everything in order to get better, why play a couple of meaningless games.

 

[BC867]

I don't know about you but if I was diagnosed with cancer treatable or not my mind would not be on baseball, sorry if that disappoints you. I wouldn't mope but get everything in order to get better, why play a couple of meaningless games.

And if he's not at the top of his game, either physically or emotionally, before the surgery (which has been the case), why go into it feeling bad that he let his team down.

For any surgery, no matter how routine (and cancer is never routine), spending time with time family should prevail.

 

[HooverDam]

I don't know about you but if I was diagnosed with cancer treatable or not my mind would not be on baseball, sorry if that disappoints you. I wouldn't mope but get everything in order to get better, why play a couple of meaningless games.

Well I highly doubt anyone in the D'backs organization is pressuring DD to do anything. Clearly the doctors told the guy 'you can pitch pre surgery if you want to' and Davis decided he wanted to. If he shows he can't concentrate or deliver, thats a decision for the manager to make and to pull him early.

 

[KelVarnsen]

Surgery

Aside from making sure that they get all the cancer both surgically and through radiation, the other tricky thing is to get the proper dose of synthroid (the drug that replicates the thyroid). Usually the docs will have to mess around a bit with the dosage over time. As the thyroid basically controls your metabolism, the wrong dosage can have physical implications such as lack of energy.

 

[Stallion]

My brother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer 3 years ago. It is the slowest-developing cancer, so it is relatively easy to treat.

Thanks for the info. Best wishes to both DD and your brother!

 

[BigShtank]

Well, tonights his last start before the surgery, I hope everyone in the stands gets up and cheers after every out he gets and every inning he pitches. I also hope Melvin pulls him out in the middle of an inning vs for a pinch hitter, so that he can walk off the field and get a standing ovation and cheers from the fans.

Good luck DD!!!!

 

[BC867]

Well, tonights his last start before the surgery, I hope everyone in the stands gets up and cheers after every out he gets and every inning he pitches. I also hope Melvin pulls him out in the middle of an inning vs for a pinch hitter, so that he can walk off the field and get a standing ovation and cheers from the fans.

Good luck DD!!!!

And as DD walked off the field at the end of his inning, he got a standing O, then a curtain call.

The guy has heart. Not one pitch over 84 mph and he triumphed as his surgery gets closer.

I thought it would be better for him to sit the games out, but he showed us all something.

 

[bankybruce]

That has to go down as one of the best performances ever due to the pressure on Doug and what he is going through. Now he can relax for a while and work on get healthy. Johnson is scheduled to start on Monday in Doug's spot.