Direct answer: Steve Jobs died from respiratory arrest caused by metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer, with the cancer having spread to other organs. No autopsy was performed, and the death certificate explicitly lists the immediate cause as respiratory arrest.[1][2][3]
What this means in context:
- Primary illness: pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (a rare form of pancreatic cancer).
- Mechanism: the cancer spread led to respiratory arrest, which was recorded as the immediate cause of death.[5][1]
- Official documentation: the Santa Clara County Public Health Department released a death certificate detailing these causes; Apple did not publicly disclose a cause at the time of his death.[6][5]
Notes and caveats:
- Some reports emphasize the five-year history of the metastatic tumor, with respiratory arrest listed as the immediate cause.[1][5]
- No autopsy was performed, and burial occurred shortly after his death.[5][1]
If you’d like, I can pull the most authoritative contemporaneous sources and provide direct quotes or a concise timeline.
Sources
Respiratory arrest that resulted from pancreatic cancer that had spread
www.emirates247.comA copy of Steve Jobs' death certificate made public Monday indicates that the Apple Inc. co-founder died of respiratory arrest resulting from pancreatic cancer that had spread to other organs.
www.cbc.caWJLA is the local ABC affiliate for the greater Washington DC area. From our studios in Arlington, VA ABC7 covers national and local news, sports, weather, traffic and culture and carries entertainment and sports programming. WJLA serves Alexandria, Springfield, Annandale, Tysons, Reston, Ashburn, Centreville and Manassas, Virginia and Bethesda, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, Wheaton, Beltsville, Greenbelt, Bowie, College Park, Largo, Crofton, Annapolis, Hyattsville and Takoma Park,...
wjla.comSAN FRANCISCO - A copy of Steve Jobs' death certificate made public Monday indicates that the Apple Inc. co-founder died of respiratory arrest resulting from pancreatic cancer that had spread to other organs.
globalnews.caThe Apple Inc. co-founder died of respiratory arrest resulting from pancreatic cancer that had spread to other organs.
www.bet.comDiscover the impact of neuroendocrine tumours through the life of Steve Jobs, and his battles with this rare cancer.
neuroendocrine.org.auThe Apple co-founder died at 56 because of spread of pancreatic cancer to other organs
www.cbsnews.comSAN FRANCISCO - A copy of Steve Jobs' death certificate made public Monday indicates that the Apple Inc. co-founder died of respiratory arrest resulting from pancreatic cancer that had spread to other organs.
globalnews.caA copy of Steve Jobs' death certificate made public Monday indicates that the Apple Inc. co-founder died of respiratory arrest resulting from pancreatic cancer that had spread to other organs.
www.foxnews.com