Marvin Zindler prepared to battle cancer

85-year-old Houston icon Marvin Zindler announced yesterday on KTRK that he is suffering from pancreatic cancer. Marvin had endeared himself to us long before we read about the fur-lined handcuffs he carried around for arresting ladies when he was a police officer, and this news was upsetting for lots of people - including us. Yesterday, he spoke to ABC 13 viewers with his doctor about his previous health battles and the one he's about to face. As you might imagine, his speech began with, "Well, folks..."

Marvin has suffered a number of health problems in the past. In 1979, he underwent open heart surgery, and was back in the hospital again in 1984 to have a gall bladder removed. In 1994, he successfully beat prostate cancer. Then in the same year, he underwent open heart surgery again - a five bypass. As we all well know, Marvin has also had a number of cosmetic procedures done.

Marvin's doctor, Dr. John McKechnie, addressed ABC viewers yesterday as well. He said that they found that Marvin has a tumor on the pancreas which had spread to his liver, and is already undergoing chemotherapy. He concluded his speech by saying, "We will continue with treatment and we trust that Marvin will be a responder and will do well." To say that we hope so is an understatement. A Facebook group - started by erstwhile city council candidate David Goldberg - in support of Marvin has already showed up, and we're sure many people in Houston and elsewhere are pulling for him to get better. As the group puts it, "he has so much more good to spread throughout the world."