Today's New York Times outlined the known state of all four candidates' health. While it dedicated a section to each, the report clearly raised new questions about John McCain's chances of melanoma recurrence.

Here is a look at how the paper of record summarized the medical records:

  • McCain: Wounds from untreated injuries and torture while a POW mean McCain may eventually need joint replacements. Inconsistencies about the severity of McCain's melanoma skin cancer, make the probability of recurrence unknown. A reclassification of severity, called for by some experts, would change his statistical odds for survival at 10 years from about 60 percent to 36 percent. He has had no recurrence for eight years; but the 10th anniversary, which would be in 2010, is an important benchmark.
  • Obama: Obama’s campaign released a one-page letter from his doctor citing Obama’s “excellent health," last May and a series of test results last week. Obama has one medical issue, which is a difficulty in stopping smoking. Obama began smoking 20 years ago, trying several times since to quit. Obama, who decided to quit before running for president, has used Nicorette gum “with success," according to his doctor.

To see what the paper's doctor-turned-reporter summed up about the VP nominees, read more.

  • Palin: No records have been released regarding Palin.
  • Biden: Biden had emergency surgery in 1988 for a brain aneurysm and elective surgery for a second one. The campaign released 49 pages of medical records to last week showing that he was healthy, but did not indicate whether Biden had been tested in recent years to detect any new aneurysm.

The paper, which says it routinely investigates the major candidates' health, evidently feels the chill of the McCain campaign's cold shoulder — the Times was excluded from the restricted and semisecretive review of McCain's records in May, and has been prohibited from asking questions during reporter conference calls. The article maintains that when health information has been withheld in the past, it usually means the candidates are hiding something. Do you think candidates should allow for a complete airing of their health?

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