Alternative medicine doomed Steve Jobs - cancer expert

Steve Jobs. Photo / AP

A Harvard cancer expert believes Steve Jobs doomed himself with alternative medicine.

Harvard Medical School researcher and faculty member Ramzi Amri said Jobs suffered from a mild form of cancer that is not usually fatal, but appears to have ushered along his own death by delaying conventional treatment in favor of alternative remedies.

"Mr. Jobs allegedly chose to undergo all sorts of alternative treatment options before opting for conventional medicine," Amri wrote on a Q&A forum popular among Silicon Valley executives.

"Given the circumstances, it seems sound to assume that Mr. Jobs' choice for alternative medicine has eventually led to an unnecessarily early death."

Amri described Jobs as "a hippie back in the day" and a sceptic of conventional medicine. He said Jobs' reaction to the disease gave the disease time to spread.

Describing the period when Jobs' began to visibly shed weight, Amri said Jobs seemed to "dedicate his time to Apple as the disease progressed, instead of opting for chemotherapy or any other conventional treatment."

Amri said he did not wish to cause offence and emphasised his profound respect for Jobs' and his legacy. However, he felt "in the spirit of his progressive view of the world, learning from his case is an appropriate way to look back on the facts concerning his life and legacy".

"Sadly, even for one of the greatest personalities of the last 100 years, there will be no exception, and badly treated cancer is just as deadly for him as for anyone else."

- HERALD ONLINE