On Thursday, her doctor, Lisa Carey of the University of North Carolina Medical Center, described Edwards' condition as Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, meaning the cancer has spread beyond her breast and lymph nodes.

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The star, who was also an accomplished stage actor, had been battling a serious lung condition for several years.

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How well physicians did for any particular condition varied substantially, ranging from about 79 percent of recommended care delivered for early-stage cataracts to about 11 percent of recommended care for alcohol dependence.

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The funding condition of Bear Stearns had deteriorated rapidly, and by March 13 had reached such a critical stage that the company would have faced a bankruptcy filing on March 14 absent an extraordinary infusion of liquidity.

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