Brudnoy Accepts Losing Battle With Cancer

BOSTON -- One of the most notable voices of Boston talk radio said he was losing his battle with cancer and bid farewell to his family and friends Wednesday from his hospital room.

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David Brudnoy, of WBZ NewsRadio 1030, is hospitalized at Massachusetts General Hospital. He has been battling merkel-cell carcinoma, a very rare and highly aggressive form of skin cancer, for about one year. About one decade ago, he also developed full-blown AIDS.

"It's gone below the waist. It's in the liver and kidneys," Brudnoy said, as reported on WBZ.com.

Brudnoy spoke with WBZ's Gary Lapierre from his hospital bed, and the conversation was broadcast on 1030 AM Wednesday afternoon.

Brudnoy's cancer, which had been in remission until several weeks ago, has spread to his liver, affecting the functioning of that organ. As a consequence of the disease, his kidneys also are failing, the hospital said in a statement.

He told Lapierre that to continue with his treatments would just prolong his pain.

"With morphine and a little oxygen and food. I am not starving myself. I am not asking my doctors to do anything illegal. I wish I could but they won't. I will make it through. My head is completely accepting of this. I am absolutely ready."

Brudnoy has asked that he receive only comfort care, and he continues to be alert and is resting comfortably, hospital officials said.

Brudnoy has always been open with his listeners about his illnesses.

"I think we in the media oftentimes want everybody else to be frank about themselves but want to be covert about ourselves. My life is truly an open book," Brudnoy said. "It has been but more so as I contend with these diseases."

Brudnoy started his talk radio career at WHDH-AM in 1976, then moved to WRKO-AM in 1981. He's been a fixture at WBZ since 1986.

Brudnoy, who hosts "The David Brudnoy Show," also worked at WCVB-TV from 1991 to 1993.