Wow. Well, I'm thinking he might want to see if there are any hospice services in his area. They can be an enormous help for people in your friend's situation.

I think he should probably get some help with telling the rest of his friends and family, maybe from the male friend or family member he feels closest to.

Since he's a wild man, I think he should probably make as much of the rest of his life into a party as he possibly can. With as much music as possible.

The husband of one of my oldest and best friends died of leukemia about 15 years ago. I didn't see him during his final days, but his wife and daughter were with him as much as possible during that time, and they were with him while he passed. Although it was a heartbreaking experience for them, they describe it as having been a very loving and beautiful experience.

There are books that can help people during times like this. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross has written some very good ones, and this post to the accordion thread I started a couple of days ago mentions Ram Das and a book called "Still Here" that was of some help for the one who posted about it.