Rush Limbaugh says his lung cancer is ‘going in the wrong direction’

Conservative broadcaster Rush Limbaugh said on his show Monday that lung cancer has worsened and is “going in the wrong direction” despite the treatment.

He said, according to a transcript of his show, “It is difficult to realize that the days when I do not think I am on death row are over.”

Mr. Limbaugh, 69, told his first listeners in February that he had advanced lung cancer and had noticed shortness of breath. He said he would continue to work, apart from taking a few days off to undergo testing and decide on a treatment plan.

But on Monday, he said he wanted to inform his listeners about his health and how the disease was affecting it, saying the fluctuations were like “a roller coaster at times you can’t get off.”

“And at some point you can decide, you know, that this drug might be effective, but I hate the way I feel every day. But it’s an integral part of this,” said Mr. Limbaugh.

He said he underwent treatment about two weeks ago that showed “some cancer development.” Before that, the surveys had shown “we have stunted growth,” he said. “It’s getting reduced, and it’s manageable.”

Of the “recent development” of the disease, he said: “It’s not dramatic, but it’s the wrong direction.”

“Rush Limbaugh ShowIt airs every weekday from noon until 3 p.m. The show is a highly rated program on Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia. It debuted in 1988 and is popular with conservatives from the grassroots.

Mr. Limbaugh has long been a prominent commentator in the right-wing media, adopting popular talking points over the past 30 years. Last month, he told millions of his listeners to ignore any indication that climate change was responsible for wildfires in California and the Pacific Northwest.

He was a staunch ally of President Trump, who awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom during his State of the Union address in February, the day after Mr. Limbaugh declared he had cancer.

And Mr. Trump gave the radio host, he told Mr. Limbaugh that he was honored “to the millions of people you talk to every day who inspire them.” His choice as the recipient of the nation’s highest civilian honor sparked criticism, with some citing his opposition to the Affordable Care Act and an attack on Sandra Flock, a rights student who disfigured him after she spoke to a congressional hearing about birth control.

On October 9, while he was recovering from the Coronavirus, Mr. Trump spoke with Mr. Limbaugh on his radio show in What Bill As the “largest virtual gathering in radio history.” Over the course of two hours, Mr. Trump aired many complaints and Mr. Limbaugh tried to reassure his fans that the president was the best man for the White House.