Thompson Discloses Cancer

Fred Thompson has non-Hodgkins lymphoma—but it's in remission, the senator-turned-TV star said yesterday. Strategists see the surprise revelation as a sign that Thompson is preparing to enter the contest for the Republican presidential nomination. A new Los Angeles Times poll, conducted just before the announcement, puts him in second place, ahead of front runners John McCain and Mitt Romney.

Thompson, a conservative who plays a district attorney on “Law & Order,” says he suffered no negative effects from the cancer, is no longer receiving treatment, and does not believe it will affect his life expectancy. His physician agrees: “We have patients out for years, leading totally normal lives, doing whatever they want, including running for president.” (More cancer stories.)