Ben's tumor: The Cause?

[LostAndSeek]

I think all the likely candidates that we've met are dead, aren't they?

Amelia's alive, but the woman in the xrays was only in her 20's I think.

Cindy's alive, but she came to the island after Juliet.

Anybody else still alive?

[BenLakie]

Amelia?  Earhart?

Or did you mean Annie?  Are you mixing up your A names? 

[PrincessLeia]

Amelia is the older lady that came by Juliet's before the book club.
http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Amelia

There are several other possibilities among the background others (ladies we've seen @ the book club, cages, @ the ruins, etc.), but I think all the prominent women are dead.
http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Background_cast#Others_background

[LostAndSeek]

Hey Lakkie,

Annie's not an Other as far as we know. Amelia's the woman who helped Juliet with her burned hand in the premiere of S3. Could be Earhart, but in any case too old to be the woman in the xrays, unless Richard drained her life force to maintain his young, vigorous body. (No, no that was just a joke!!)

[lostfan777]

As for the cause of Ben's tumor, that's easy - CANCER!  Why the island doesn't heal him, I have no idea! 

Now as to the cure, I think there was a time that Ben could leave the island at will, but these days he's a much more wanted man, and sitting in a real world hospital recovering from spinal surgery would be too risky for him.  Had more time passed, they would have enlisted a surgeon just as they did Juliet, but they didn't need to after Jack fell out of the sky.

Ben's photo appeared to be from a long time ago, and maybe even then he was being watched/hunted.  I think the only reason he ends up in Germany with Sayid is that he is forced to flee the island by the freighters and is now on a quest with Sayid (maybe others) to destroy those responsible (the list).