Why Hitchens cancelled book tour: cancer

Christopher Hitchens has announced that doctors have advised him to undergo chemotherapy for cancer in his esophagus. "This advice seems persuasive to me," the 61-year-old author says. He was a chain smoker until he announced in 2008 that he would quit, though he apparently hasn't stopped completely. Hitchens had been on book tour and was scheduled to appear with Steve Wasserman at Aloud last Monday. The appearance was cancelled a few days before.