, who is not involved in caring for Jobs . `` I suspect he 's referring to his gastrointestinal system and some of the hormones related to that , rather than more classic endocrine hormones , '' which are associated with the thyroid , adrenal or pituitary glands , Burman said . While abnormalities related to those hormones may also lead to weight loss , they are not necessarily associated with pancreatic disease , he said . There is not enough information available to say how severe a gastrointestinal hormonal problem would be , he said . Others speculate the hormonal issue could relate to his cancer . Dr. Jeffrey Mechanick , clinical professor at Mount Sinai Medical Center , said a tumor in the pancreas would typically create an overproduction of hormones . Glucagon , a hormone produced in the pancreas , would lead to weight loss if produced in excess . `` In a patient whom a few years ago had pancreatic cancer , then progressive weight loss , then develops complications from the weight loss , it would be logical to associate his symptoms now with the previous cancer , '' he said . But the weight
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As Apple enthusiasts speculate over why pancreatic cancer survivor Steve Jobs wo n't appear at Macworld Conference & Expo this year , the CEO asks them to think differently about his health . Apple CEO Steve Jobs delivered keynote addresses in September 2008 , left , and in October 2005 , right . Addressing the `` Apple Community '' in a statement , Jobs said his doctors think they have found the reason behind his weight loss : `` a hormone imbalance that has been ` robbing ' me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy . Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis . '' But doctors unaffiliated with Jobs ' care say this `` hormone imbalance '' could be a symptom of a slew of underlying conditions , including cancer or diabetes . However , any diagnosis based on this description and Jobs ' cancer history is purely speculative , experts say . Based on Jobs ' history of gastrointestinal problems , it 's possible his gastrointestinal system either is n't absorbing proteins or is losing proteins , said Dr. Kenneth Burman , director of Endocrinology at Washington Hospital Center in Washington