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FDR's Deadly Secret
The death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1945 sent shock waves around the world. His lifelong physician swore that the president had always been a picture of health. Later, in 1970, Roosevelt’s cardiologist admitted he had been suffering from uncontrolled hypertension and that his death—from a cerebral hemorrhage—was “a cataclysmic event waiting to happen.” But even this was a carefully constructed deceit, one that began in the 1930s and became acutely necessary as America approached war.In this great medical detective story and narrative of a presidential cover-up, an exhaustive study of all available reports of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s health, and a comprehensive review of thousands of photographs, an intrepid physician-journalist team reveals that Roosevelt at his death suffered from melanoma, a skin cancer that had spread to his brain and abdomen. Roosevelt’s condition was not only physically disabling, but also could have affected substantially his mental function and his ability to make decisions in the days when the nation was imperiled by World War II.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published December 22, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 20, 2012
Having recently visited Warm Springs, Ga, for the first time (in 2012), my interest in FDR, was piqued. This book set forth an intriguing thesis; that being that FDR's physical challenges went well beyond the polio which struck him down relatively early in his life; or even the cardiac issues that ultimately took his life; but that another, more insidious malady fell this historic figure; melanoma. With so much of the medical records destroyed, and such a wall of misinformation; especially from Dr. McIntyre and others, that surrounded anything to do with the President's health; the author had a challenge to find substantiating documentation; however, a well researched volume and fascinating read; especially when viewed against a 21st century 24/7 newsfeed world. Definitely recommend.
May 7, 2010
Even in the most recent, supposedly well-researched books about FDR, there is virtually no mention of his medical condition, status, or treatment. He needs to rest a lot, but you never hear that he was visited by a doctor several times a day, and often travel to Bethesda Naval Hospital and other hospitals and clinics, some out of town, secretly. Perhaps this is because it took a physician to sort out the available, published facts, and discover new ones by research and interviews of the involved persons still alive today.
The thesis is that FDR died of cancer, or complications therefrom. Yes, he had a "terrible headache" and, no doubt, a brain hemmorage, but why has until now never been thoroughly documented. It's a great medical detective story, with the subtext being that dozens and hundreds of people participated in the cover-up (in public, FDR was as healthy as a man under the circumstances could be, supposedly). Yeah, right.
Of course, like many well-researched history books, the most interesting parts are the "other" things you can learn about the subject or topic that the author managed to discover along the way.
But were it not for this not-so-silent, but non-public (albeit self-serving) conspiracy of silence regarding FDR's actual health condition, history might have played out drastically differently than it actually did. Whether or not we would have been better off is a question for the political sphere, and each will no doubt have his or her own opinion, but one thing is clear: what FDR endured in his self-appointed task of sheperding this country through World War II is both humbling and amazing.
The thesis is that FDR died of cancer, or complications therefrom. Yes, he had a "terrible headache" and, no doubt, a brain hemmorage, but why has until now never been thoroughly documented. It's a great medical detective story, with the subtext being that dozens and hundreds of people participated in the cover-up (in public, FDR was as healthy as a man under the circumstances could be, supposedly). Yeah, right.
Of course, like many well-researched history books, the most interesting parts are the "other" things you can learn about the subject or topic that the author managed to discover along the way.
But were it not for this not-so-silent, but non-public (albeit self-serving) conspiracy of silence regarding FDR's actual health condition, history might have played out drastically differently than it actually did. Whether or not we would have been better off is a question for the political sphere, and each will no doubt have his or her own opinion, but one thing is clear: what FDR endured in his self-appointed task of sheperding this country through World War II is both humbling and amazing.
October 10, 2014
After watching the recent PBS special on the Roosevelts, I reread this book.
Franklin Roosevelt enjoyed the outdoors. As a result, it is not unusual that he developed a macule (change in skin color) above his left eye. Photos from the 1920’s show a very light discoloration but it was bigger and darker by the time he became president in 1933. It continued to grow and darken throughout the 1930s. This was a clear sign of melanoma, skin cancer, one of the most deadly forms of cancer.
Patients with melanoma are likely to see the cancer metastasize, especially to the abdomen and later the brain. Among those who die from melanoma, 60% had cancer in the bowels, and 90% have the cancer spread to the brain.
Someone with brain mestastase from melanoma is at high risk for brain hemorrhage.
Steven Lomazow, a board certified neurologist and his coauthor Eric Fettmann wrote a fascinating book in 2009 called FDR's Deadly Secret that makes a strong case the Franklin Roosevelt did not die from an out-of-the-blue brain aneurysm, but rather from a brain hemorrhage due to a brain tumor that grew from it's original melanoma.
Roosevelt in 1939 with lesion clearly visible
According to the book, on January 17, 1940 renowned cancer doctor Reuben Peterson wrote Roosevelt advising him that he should check the lesion over his left eye. Most doctors of the day did not recognize a lesion like Roosevelt's to be evidence of cancerous melanoma. At worst it might be precancerous. Hopefully, Roosevelt's doctors did a biopsy, but there is no record of it (more about that later). What we do know is that they took steps to reduce the size of the lesion. The photographic evidence is clear that beginning in 1940, the lesion was being operated on. For example, right after Roosevelt got Peterson’s letter, he left on a hastily announced cruise on the USS Tuscaloosa. During the voyage, photos where nearly all from the right side, so his left eye was not seen. He also wore sunglasses a lot which he normally did not do. We can guess that Roosevelt’s lesion was being treated, but it was likely already too late.
By early 1940, Franklin Roosevelt’s cancer had metastasized and it was only a matter of time before he would die from his condition.
In May 1941, the president complained of stomach pains and fatigue. Blood tests showed he had lost the equivalent of eight pints of blood at some point in the prior 14 months. His doctor concocted a story about bleeding hemorrhoids, but a better explanation was internal bleeding in his GI tract. While Roosevelt was bedridden in the White House, his press secretary made excuses that he was suffering from a minor intestinal ailment. The treatment, which remained secret from the public, was blood transfusions, at least eight of them through the summer. Lomazow and Fettmann believe they have found circumstantial evidence that the bleeding may have been caused by radiation treatment for prostate cancer. None of this was included in the recent PBS Ken Burns documentary on the Roosevelts.
By 1942 the lesion above Roosevelt's eye was gone, evidence doctors knew it might lead to skin cancer (and in fact already had).
Roosevelt 1942 with lesion removed.
In September 1943 his cousin Daisy Suckley recorded that Roosevelt was complaining of stomach pain that continued during the Tehran conference in November.
The next medical problem was identified (and acknowledged in the Burns documentary) no later than the spring of 1944 when Roosevelt was diagnosed with an enlarged heart and left ventricular failure. Doctors treated him for hypertensive heart disease.
Not covered in the documentary was doctors continuing to record further episodes of the president's abdominal pain.
Roosevelt ran for a fourth term hiding his significant health problems. A number of people who knew him well did not believe he would last another full term.
During the campaign, a letter to his wife and later recollection of his son James both recorded the president's continued bowel pains. He reported he had no interest in food because he could not taste it. By the time he died he probably weighed less than 150 pounds, a weight loss of at least 35 pounds during his last year.
After the election, people close to the president started noticing the president had periods of listlessness. The authors surmise that these were seizures caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. This condition was noticed during the important Yalta Conference where Roosevelt met with Churchill and Stalin to make postwar plans. Many people have concluded that being sick, Roosevelt gave up too much to Stalin.
Roosevelt was exhibiting signs of a brain tumor. Perhaps the greatest proof of this was Roosevelt's speech to Congress upon his return from the Soviet Union. Burns documentary mentions the speech and notes that it was one of the few times that Roosevelt publicly referred to his polio condition. Burns did not mention that the speech was a disaster. Roosevelt could not stay on script. He took off on tangents and lost his place in the text, botching many of the words. Reviewing copies of the original speech document, Lomazow and Fettmann noticed a pattern - the parts of the speech where Roosevelt made errors were all on the left side of the page. The president was unable to see the left side of each line of his speech. This is called left hemisanopia, a condition effecting the right posterior portion of the brain that can be caused by brain tumors.
On April 12, 1945, Roosevelt suffered a massive brain hemorrhage and died a few hours later. When the embalmers came to prepare the body, they noticed the stomach was unnaturally distended. There was no autopsy.
Roosevelt's medical records have disappeared. Even when his wife Eleanor requested them 10 years later, she was told they could not be found.
Why did this cover-up happen? Roosevelt considered himself indispensable in a world at war, and many historians would agree. Had Roosevelt's true condition been known to the public, there is no way he would have been re-elected in 1940, much less 1944. After his death there was less reason to hide the truth, except for the fact that it would detract from the heroic myth of FDR, the patron saint of the Democrat Party.
When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.
Franklin Roosevelt enjoyed the outdoors. As a result, it is not unusual that he developed a macule (change in skin color) above his left eye. Photos from the 1920’s show a very light discoloration but it was bigger and darker by the time he became president in 1933. It continued to grow and darken throughout the 1930s. This was a clear sign of melanoma, skin cancer, one of the most deadly forms of cancer.
Patients with melanoma are likely to see the cancer metastasize, especially to the abdomen and later the brain. Among those who die from melanoma, 60% had cancer in the bowels, and 90% have the cancer spread to the brain.
Someone with brain mestastase from melanoma is at high risk for brain hemorrhage.
Steven Lomazow, a board certified neurologist and his coauthor Eric Fettmann wrote a fascinating book in 2009 called FDR's Deadly Secret that makes a strong case the Franklin Roosevelt did not die from an out-of-the-blue brain aneurysm, but rather from a brain hemorrhage due to a brain tumor that grew from it's original melanoma.
Roosevelt in 1939 with lesion clearly visible
According to the book, on January 17, 1940 renowned cancer doctor Reuben Peterson wrote Roosevelt advising him that he should check the lesion over his left eye. Most doctors of the day did not recognize a lesion like Roosevelt's to be evidence of cancerous melanoma. At worst it might be precancerous. Hopefully, Roosevelt's doctors did a biopsy, but there is no record of it (more about that later). What we do know is that they took steps to reduce the size of the lesion. The photographic evidence is clear that beginning in 1940, the lesion was being operated on. For example, right after Roosevelt got Peterson’s letter, he left on a hastily announced cruise on the USS Tuscaloosa. During the voyage, photos where nearly all from the right side, so his left eye was not seen. He also wore sunglasses a lot which he normally did not do. We can guess that Roosevelt’s lesion was being treated, but it was likely already too late.
By early 1940, Franklin Roosevelt’s cancer had metastasized and it was only a matter of time before he would die from his condition.
In May 1941, the president complained of stomach pains and fatigue. Blood tests showed he had lost the equivalent of eight pints of blood at some point in the prior 14 months. His doctor concocted a story about bleeding hemorrhoids, but a better explanation was internal bleeding in his GI tract. While Roosevelt was bedridden in the White House, his press secretary made excuses that he was suffering from a minor intestinal ailment. The treatment, which remained secret from the public, was blood transfusions, at least eight of them through the summer. Lomazow and Fettmann believe they have found circumstantial evidence that the bleeding may have been caused by radiation treatment for prostate cancer. None of this was included in the recent PBS Ken Burns documentary on the Roosevelts.
By 1942 the lesion above Roosevelt's eye was gone, evidence doctors knew it might lead to skin cancer (and in fact already had).
Roosevelt 1942 with lesion removed.
In September 1943 his cousin Daisy Suckley recorded that Roosevelt was complaining of stomach pain that continued during the Tehran conference in November.
The next medical problem was identified (and acknowledged in the Burns documentary) no later than the spring of 1944 when Roosevelt was diagnosed with an enlarged heart and left ventricular failure. Doctors treated him for hypertensive heart disease.
Not covered in the documentary was doctors continuing to record further episodes of the president's abdominal pain.
Roosevelt ran for a fourth term hiding his significant health problems. A number of people who knew him well did not believe he would last another full term.
During the campaign, a letter to his wife and later recollection of his son James both recorded the president's continued bowel pains. He reported he had no interest in food because he could not taste it. By the time he died he probably weighed less than 150 pounds, a weight loss of at least 35 pounds during his last year.
After the election, people close to the president started noticing the president had periods of listlessness. The authors surmise that these were seizures caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. This condition was noticed during the important Yalta Conference where Roosevelt met with Churchill and Stalin to make postwar plans. Many people have concluded that being sick, Roosevelt gave up too much to Stalin.
Roosevelt was exhibiting signs of a brain tumor. Perhaps the greatest proof of this was Roosevelt's speech to Congress upon his return from the Soviet Union. Burns documentary mentions the speech and notes that it was one of the few times that Roosevelt publicly referred to his polio condition. Burns did not mention that the speech was a disaster. Roosevelt could not stay on script. He took off on tangents and lost his place in the text, botching many of the words. Reviewing copies of the original speech document, Lomazow and Fettmann noticed a pattern - the parts of the speech where Roosevelt made errors were all on the left side of the page. The president was unable to see the left side of each line of his speech. This is called left hemisanopia, a condition effecting the right posterior portion of the brain that can be caused by brain tumors.
On April 12, 1945, Roosevelt suffered a massive brain hemorrhage and died a few hours later. When the embalmers came to prepare the body, they noticed the stomach was unnaturally distended. There was no autopsy.
Roosevelt's medical records have disappeared. Even when his wife Eleanor requested them 10 years later, she was told they could not be found.
Why did this cover-up happen? Roosevelt considered himself indispensable in a world at war, and many historians would agree. Had Roosevelt's true condition been known to the public, there is no way he would have been re-elected in 1940, much less 1944. After his death there was less reason to hide the truth, except for the fact that it would detract from the heroic myth of FDR, the patron saint of the Democrat Party.
When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2011
Tis was an interesting read, but there were a lot of assertions made with limited evidence to back them up. There was also a lot of editorial commenting (One sentence I remember was something to the effect of "Ross McIntyre hid the truth, as was his way.") that has no place in a historical account. Though it was fascinating to read an in-depth analysis of FDR's health in his final days, their conclusions should be taken with a grain of salt.
August 23, 2017
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945): One of America's three greatest presidents, along with Washington and Lincoln (the country's father and its preserver, respectively). Roosevelt led the nation through its most trying time since slavery and the Civil War 80 years prior. But while he was a genuinely great president, FDR was also one of the most secretive. And the sickest. His biography's well-known. A charming young politician on the rise, he was struck with polio at 39 in 1921. He struggled courageously and exhaustively against it the rest of his life. Yet from the day he contracted polio until his death 24 years later, he was never healthy again. Of course, illness didn't stop his attainment of high office. Yet it may have severely limited him in the most crucial of historical moments -- the Yalta conference. In FDR'S DEADLY SECRET, Lomazow and Fettman report compellingly and shockingly how polio was but the tip of FDR's unhealthy iceberg. The 32nd president suffered from cardiovascular disease and melanoma (then as now the most dangerous form of cancer). With the help of aides and other enablers, Roosevelt hid his severe deterioration from the public. At his death in April 1945, his survivors covered up his illnesses. His passing was a great shock to the nation. Naturally -- they didn't know how sick he was. But his intimates not only knew down to the floor of their souls he was gravely ill; they feared (rightly) he wouldn't live to see America's victory in World War II. Before I read DEADLY SECRET, I'd known Roosevelt was seriously ill in the time up to April 1945. But Lomazow and Fettman, in both historical and medical chapter and verse, showed me how deeply sick FDR was and for how long (two painful decades plus). While he was on top of his health (no matter how precarious it was), he made damn sure very few other people were on top of it, too. He was determined to see his country through the Depression and the war. He nearly did. FDR'S DEADLY SECRET portrays a leader who literally gave his life for his country. But FDR's heroism's marred by his health concealment. Somehow, however, his surreptitiousness does not (and will never) deny him his place in America's presidential pantheon.
April 12, 2020
A well written investigation into the causes of Franklin Roosevelt’s death. It is now well known that FDR suffered from high blood pressure and heart ailments, but these conditions were kept hidden from the public. In addition to these problems, Fettman and Lomazow argue that he also had cancer – melanoma – and the disease had metastasized in his brain and digestive system.
The book clearly shows how the President’s doctors, aides and almost all of the media acted to hide his condition. They were quite successful at it, so that Roosevelt’s death came as a completely unexpected shock the American people.
The book clearly shows how the President’s doctors, aides and almost all of the media acted to hide his condition. They were quite successful at it, so that Roosevelt’s death came as a completely unexpected shock the American people.
want-to-obtain
August 4, 2025This looks similar to a 1948 book that I really enjoyed. That book was The Strange Death of Franklin Roosevelt by Emanuel M. Josephson from 1948.
I reviewed it on Goodreads.
I am sure that these authors had access to a lot more information than Dr. Josephson had in 1948. If I find this book for a low price, I will pick it up.
Josephson makes some pretty wild claims that Stalin did a slow roll poisoning of FDR and Churchill at Yalta and the other meetings. There is no doubt though, that FDR was already in very bad health.
Despite some excesses, Josephson has pretty solid conclusions that you didn’t see in the mainstream press, conclusions that in my mind stand the test of time.
I reviewed it on Goodreads.
I am sure that these authors had access to a lot more information than Dr. Josephson had in 1948. If I find this book for a low price, I will pick it up.
Josephson makes some pretty wild claims that Stalin did a slow roll poisoning of FDR and Churchill at Yalta and the other meetings. There is no doubt though, that FDR was already in very bad health.
Despite some excesses, Josephson has pretty solid conclusions that you didn’t see in the mainstream press, conclusions that in my mind stand the test of time.
Read
July 15, 2024attempt to pull together the various sources still available concerning FDR's health issues.
minor discussion of the ramifications of FDR's health issues as they related to his performance at the Yalta talks during WWII and his goal of establishing the UN.
Last chapter discusses issues of Presidential health and succession of power in terms of health related issues.
I wouldn't particularly recommend this to a general reader. of some interest to physicians who enjoy armchair diagnosis problems.
minor discussion of the ramifications of FDR's health issues as they related to his performance at the Yalta talks during WWII and his goal of establishing the UN.
Last chapter discusses issues of Presidential health and succession of power in terms of health related issues.
I wouldn't particularly recommend this to a general reader. of some interest to physicians who enjoy armchair diagnosis problems.
October 19, 2022
Interesting read, but quite the slog towards the end. I had no idea how severely ill FDR actually was, but I guess that was the point. This was basically a back and forth on how much people lied and the lengths they went to cover things up. FDR's administration wasn't the first to do this (and it probably won't be the last), but wow.
April 13, 2019
loved this. didn't know anything about this until I read it.
July 22, 2025
Interesting book about FDR's numerous health problems including the high probability that he had melanoma, but managed--with the help of his family and the White House doctor--to keep it a secret.
February 17, 2010
I read this for a book club. I didn't think I'd be as interested in it, because it sounded very technical and heavy with medical jargon, but to my surprise it was very easy to read. The material was engaging and presented in a linear and coherent fashion. The authors present facts and link them to their theory regarding FDR's illnesses, especially the speculation that he may have died ultimately from cancer complications. Reading this book gave me a deeper insight into the strength of FDR's resolve, and the potential weaknesses of his decisions in his final days. I find myself watching historical footage of his speeches and comparing his physical appearance and mannerisms to the chronological evidence presented in this book.
November 21, 2012
I found this book quite interesting. It was a thorough look at accounts of FDR's illness and symptoms. An examination of pictures shows a discolored lesion right above his eye which gradually disappears. FDR's cousin Daisy's journal was published fairly recently and she tells a lot about his condition and actions, which reveals a lot about his health.
The authors make some very good points supporting their theory. Most of FDR's medical records have disappeared. At any rate, he was treated under several different aliases.
The authors make some very good points supporting their theory. Most of FDR's medical records have disappeared. At any rate, he was treated under several different aliases.
August 30, 2010
"The deadly secrets" is what is should be called as it details a myriad of serious illnesses that afflicted FDR. His resilience was amazing, but it's appalling he was in office for the last two terms when he was so often incapacitated. Among other things, he had melanoma, suspected strokes, cancer of the prostate which probably metastasized to the brain. There is a frightening photograph in it showing him with his mouth hanging open, jaw slack, eyes staring straight ahead.
August 16, 2010
FOUND THIS BOOK ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING IN ITS DOCUMENTATION OF FDR'S HEALTH BEFORE AND WHILE PRESIDENT. WHAT IS MIND BOGGLING IS HOW MUCH WAS COVERED UP BY THOSE AROUND HIM AND THE PRESS. IT OPENS UP A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW DECISIONS SHAPE EVENTS FOR GOOD OR NOT SO GOOD. BUT HINDSIGHT IS GREAT BUT DOESN'T CHANGE THINGS. THIS BOOK MAKES A GOOD ARGUMENT FOR TERM LIMITS NOT ONLY FOR LEGISLATORS BUT ALSO SUPREME COURT JUSTICES TOO.
December 29, 2015
Interesting thesis that FDR kept a bigger secret from the public than the extent of his polio: he was dying of melanoma. While I find the evidence somewhat sketchy it's still within the realm of possibility this is what happened to Roosevelt. It also does an excellent job of detailing just how frail he was in the last year or two of his life. A fascinating and sobering read.
May 28, 2011
Well, it turns out that despite rumors that FDR was replaced by a double after he died at Yalta, the reality is that he was just very very sick, with at least three fatal diseases. You'd think it would take only one.
June 3, 2011
Interesting book about the possibility that Roosevelt might have been suffering from cancer throughout his term of office, based on researching his medical records and reviewing the comments of his various physicians.
November 10, 2016
Amazing to think how Roosevelt was able to run the country while dealing with so many serious and fatal illnesses. How to deal with a president that is dying and refuses to give up power will I am sure happen again sooner or later.
March 13, 2010
I'm no conspiracy theorist, but the author tells a convincing story about FDR's secret health issue...and no, it's not that he was paralyzed. Pretty interesting.
Want to read
April 6, 2010I received this book as a gift from Kay, and have not read it yet. I am looking forward to enjoying it this summer.
August 10, 2012
My review in AND Magazine: http://www.andmagazine.com/content/an...
November 15, 2015
Looking for additional martial on this subject. Wondering how true the authors's hypothesis is that FDR died of metastatic melanoma.
March 23, 2016
While at times overtly critical and seemingly biased against FDR, this account of his medical problems and the question of his fitness to be President is an interesting and informative one.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews