Here's a post I started a while ago and am just finishing now. Also, more pictures up in the gallery.

Many in Jerry's circle are blindsided and hurting right now. The question on many minds is how? How does a guy go from chainsawing and 4-wheeling to hospice in 12 days? How does a 70 year old have two hips replaced last year (and a knee the year before), with all the accompanying tests and checkups, and have them find nothing else wrong?

His recovery time for all three major joint replacements was well above average; if there was a worry it was about him doing too much rehab rather than not enough. He couldn't wait to be fully healed. After his heart attack in '08 he'd followed all doctor orders and brought the problem under control, his heart checked out perfectly during recent tests.      

So How Does This Happen?

Short Answer:
There is no answer. Also cancer sucks. 
 
Long Answer:
The doctors estimate he had this cancer for a minimum of 6-8 months prior to finally entering the ICU. They compared the situation to a bathtub filling up with water over a long time, you don't know there's a problem until it overflows and you can hear water splashing on the floor - and by then it's too late. In his case overflowing was the cancer spreading to his spinal column and meninges (brain membrane), triggering the first clear symptoms. By then his body was overwhelmed. But how could there be no symptoms?

In very broad terms, the farther up the esophagus the cancer starts, the more it bothers the person and the more likely they are to go see a doctor about it. Difficulty swallowing, heartburn/pain, coughing/hoarseness, and weight loss are all common symptoms. My Dad had none of this because the main tumor was at the bottom of his esophagus, right at the entrance to the stomach and then growing into his stomach. This gave it plenty of room to develop without bothering him.

There were other factors working against early detection. Two hip surgeries aren't minor events, especially for a 69 year old. He was tired a lot and that was completely normal, his body needed to heal and re-grow bone around the new joints. Basically anything he would have mentioned to his doctors could be easily explained by the surgeries and his age. His heart and blood work were normal, he was doing his exercises (and then some), and all seemed well. They had no reason to check anything else.

Lastly, I've learned many of us (including myself) think medicine is more advanced than it really is. There is no single "cancer test" and it often doesn't present anything abnormal on routine blood work. My Dad being cleared for those joint surgeries doesn't mean the doctors missed something, it just means he was a strong, healthy guy with a sneaky kind of cancer.