Jobs' 'Hormone Imbalance' May Signal Cancer

Steve Jobs’ statement revealing the “hormone imbalance” that’s caused his weight loss may point to a resurgence of cancer, the Los Angeles Times reports. Jobs survived a rare form of pancreatic cancer that’s less dangerous than the typical kind. But a reappearance of the tumor could suggest it's "aggressive and growing,” says a doctor—and the survival rate for a recurrence is 1 to 2 years.

It’s also possible, however, that so much of Jobs’ pancreas was removed during his 2004 cancer that he simply can’t produce all the digestive enzymes he needs, leading to weight loss, as his statement suggests. “If there is a paucity of those enzymes, there is going to be a lack of absorption of proteins,” says an expert.