U.S. Supreme Court's Ginsburg discloses cancer recurrence at age 87

By Andrew Chung

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks during a reception where she was presented with an honorary doctoral degree at the University of Buffalo School of Law in Buffalo, New York, U.S., August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Lindsay DeDario/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, at 87 the U.S. Supreme Court's oldest member, said on Friday she is receiving chemotherapy treatment for a recurrence of cancer - the latest in a series of health issues - but indicated no intention to retire.

 

In a statement released by the court, Ginsburg said a periodic scan in February, followed by a biopsy, revealed lesions on her liver and she began chemotherapy on May 19. Oncologists said the information Ginsburg made public about her condition indicates she is experiencing a spread of pancreatic cancer, a serious development.

 

Ginsburg, the court's senior liberal justice, said the treatment is yielding positive results and that she will continue it on a biweekly basis. She was previously treated for pancreatic cancer in 2019 and 2009.

 

"I am tolerating chemotherapy well and am encouraged by the success of my current treatment," Ginsburg said.

"I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam. I remain fully able to do that," Ginsburg added.

 

Ginsburg's health is closely watched because a Supreme Court vacancy could give Republican President Donald Trump the opportunity to appoint a third justice to the nine-member court and move it further to the right. The court currently has a 5-4 conservative majority including two justices appointed by Trump - Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 and Neil Gorsuch in 2017.

 

Dr. John Marshall, chief of hematology-oncology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, and Dr. Diane Simeone, director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health in New York, agreed that it appears her pancreatic cancer has metastasized. Neither has treated Ginsburg.

 

"What I'm interpreting from everything is that this is a recurrence of pancreatic cancer and it has spread to her liver," Marshall said. "That's a very normal process that's common with pancreatic cancer."

 

The average lifespan for a person with metastatic pancreatic cancer is 10 to 11 months, Simeone said. But Ginsburg's positive response to the treatment suggests her prognosis likely will be more favorable than most, Simeone added.

 

CHEMOTHERAPY DRUG

 

The two doctors said the chemotherapy drug Ginsburg is receiving, gemcitabine, is the typical treatment for metastatic pancreatic cancer. Ginsburg said doctors first tried immunotherapy, but it proved unsuccessful.

 

Ginsburg also experienced bouts with lung cancer in 2018 and colon cancer in 1999.

 

Her most recent scan on July 7 indicated "significant reduction of the liver lesions" and no new disease, Ginsburg said.

 

"It means the treatment is working," Marshall said, adding that usually means a "longer instead of shorter" survival.

 

Simeone suggested Ginsburg already has beaten the odds given that her original pancreatic cancer diagnosis came 11 years ago. On average, only 9 percent of newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer patients are living five years after diagnosis.

 

"I am optimistic based on how well she's doing and her report that her liver lesions are shrinking that the chemotherapy may be quite effective at keeping her cancer under good control," Simeone said.

 

On Wednesday, Ginsburg was released from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore after treatment for a possible infection, having undergone a procedure to clean a bile duct stent that was inserted last August. In May, she underwent non-surgical treatment for a gallstone that had caused an infection. Ginsburg said those two hospitalizations were unrelated to her cancer.

 

Ginsburg began receiving chemotherapy six days after the court completed hearing a round of oral arguments in cases by teleconference for the first time in its history in response to health concerns raised by the coronavirus pandemic.

The court completed its nine-month term on July 9. She did not publicly reveal the treatment until Friday.

 

"Satisfied that my treatment course is now clear, I am providing this information," Ginsburg said.

 

Ginsburg indicated she has been able to keep up with her work, including writing opinions in cases. "I will continue bi-weekly chemotherapy to keep my cancer at bay, and am able to maintain an active daily routine," she added.

 

Ginsburg is the second-longest serving among the current nine justices behind Clarence Thomas, having been appointed to a lifetime post on the court by President Bill Clinton in 1993. She was the second woman ever named to the court, after Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed 12 years earlier.

 

(Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-18

 

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Little bright fireball of a young woman...would not let naysayers slow her down...time for her to step aside now...she served her country admirably...

29 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

Little bright fireball of a young woman...would not let naysayers slow her down...time for her to step aside now...she served her country admirably...

Not yet. 

Notorious RBG, hang in there.

 

Way too late for a Supreme Court nominee as mitch mcconnell told us in 2016, must wait for the election.

 

 

Unbelievable stupidity on Clinton's part placing a 60 year old on the court. Unbelievable selfishness on Ginsburg's part not retiring in time for Obama to replace her. Stick a fork in her she is about done. Then there will be another culture war in the senate.

She will step down in early 2021.  No matter who wins the election she can't go on much longer.  While I harbor no hate for any of them it does seem that term limits should apply to them.  Silly to have people in their 90s hanging on to their position just because a president of the opposite ideology is in power.  And I say thins not just for her.  

 

While we are at it term limits for house and senate is a good idea too.

Hang in there RBG just a bit longer hope they are vetting her health care workers carefully what a high achiever she is a life well lived imo

Edited July 18, 20205 yr by Tug

36 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Notorious RBG, hang in there.

 

Way too late for a Supreme Court nominee as mitch mcconnell told us in 2016, must wait for the election.

 

 

He'll have changed his opinion on this.

I know nothing of her abilities but I am guessing that at 87 it would be time to retire and let a younger person handle this most important job. 

2 minutes ago, how241 said:

I know nothing of her abilities but I am guessing that at 87 it would be time to retire and let a younger person handle this most important job. 

In normal times. 

In these times she needs to stick it out just a little bit longer until after the election. 

She is well aware of that but whether she can or not we don't know yet. 

Nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye!

22 minutes ago, phkauf said:

Nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye!

Is that how you want people to react when you get cancer yourself?

I'm fairly certain that she has already written a retirement announcement.... dated January 21st.

 

In 2016, 11 months before leaving office and 8 months before the election, Obama appointed Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.  Mitch McConnell refused to hold confirmation hearings on the grounds that Obama was a lame duck president and would 'soon' be replaced.

 

If RBG dies now, or anytime before January 20th, I suspect that Trump and McConnell will suddenly find that that his own precedent doesn't need to be followed and will ramrod a conservative Judge through the nomination and approval process in record breaking time!

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Not yet. 

Trump would love to have her die asap and get another one of his yes men on the bench

Edited July 18, 20205 yr by malibukid

Hang in there, Ruth, until a sane president will be around to nominate your successor.

 

Politics aside, I admire her and wish her all the best in her battle against cancer.

 

5 hours ago, pegman said:

Unbelievable stupidity on Clinton's part placing a 60 year old on the court. Unbelievable selfishness on Ginsburg's part not retiring in time for Obama to replace her. Stick a fork in her she is about done. Then there will be another culture war in the senate.

She is a brilliant jurist and  her opinions  have never been criticized on the basis of legal facts. Other justices hold her in high regard and value her opinion.   You wish to discriminate  against someone based upon her age. 

 

 

 

6 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Little bright fireball of a young woman...would not let naysayers slow her down...time for her to step aside now...she served her country admirably...

Under absolutely normal circumstances no one would disagree with what you are saying. But with the clown in the White House (and please, I mean no disrespect to all the hardworking and ethical clowns out there), it is completely unclear who he might install in the Supreme Court. There are plenty of criminal types out there ready to do his bidding and who have law degrees.

 

This is not a Republican versus Democrat issue any more. I used to support Republican candidates who were excellent. It is about the future of the once great country, good governance and fairness.

4 hours ago, how241 said:

I know nothing of her abilities but I am guessing that at 87 it would be time to retire and let a younger person handle this most important job. 

Judge Judy should just about be ripe enough for picking...

5 hours ago, rudi49jr said:

Is that how you want people to react when you get cancer yourself?

It wont matter to me....I'll be a dead man walking!

She sure is the energiser bunny. Completely devoted to her work for the country. Not a bone spur in sight.

7 hours ago, how241 said:

I know nothing of her abilities but I am guessing that at 87 it would be time to retire and let a younger person handle this most important job. 

If the US did not have a moran for potus I would agree

1 hour ago, cmrichsw said:

If the US did not have a moran for potus I would agree

spelled moron

Gonna be a SAD day for America if she is lost...especially if during this Trump Administration fiasco. PLEASE RBG...hang on until next year!!! 

She should have listened to Democrats and retired during Obama's 2nd term so to spend her last few years in more relaxing endeavors

23 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, at 87 the U.S. Supreme Court's oldest member, said on Friday she is receiving chemotherapy treatment for a recurrence of cancer - the latest in a series of health issues - but indicated no intention to retire.

but indicated no intention to retire.

 

I can believe that. Rather than retire to enjoy what is left of her life, IMO, she will hang in there to prevent Trump getting another conservative justice on SCOTUS. If Trump loses I bet she'll retire shortly after. If Trump wins it was all a bit pointless.

17 hours ago, rudi49jr said:

Is that how you want people to react when you get cancer yourself?

The poster you quoted wasn't rejoicing because she has cancer, but because it means that sooner or later another conservative justice will be on SCOTUS.

 

BTW, I've had cancer. The people that didn't like me didn't change their minds because of it.

15 hours ago, Proboscis said:

Under absolutely normal circumstances no one would disagree with what you are saying. But with the clown in the White House (and please, I mean no disrespect to all the hardworking and ethical clowns out there), it is completely unclear who he might install in the Supreme Court. There are plenty of criminal types out there ready to do his bidding and who have law degrees.

 

This is not a Republican versus Democrat issue any more. I used to support Republican candidates who were excellent. It is about the future of the once great country, good governance and fairness.

LOL. Are you suggesting the senate is Trump's glove puppet? The POTUS does not have carte blanch when it comes to federal appointments requiring senate approval.

Sigh.

Would love to see a double whammy...

 

Joe Biden wins

Dems take Senate

RBG retires, replaced with suitably younger centrist/liberal to counter-balance kavanaugh.

CJ Roberts retires - some serious medical conditions - Biden get to nominate CJ.

 

 

55 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Would love to see a double whammy...

 

Joe Biden wins

Dems take Senate

RBG retires, replaced with suitably younger centrist/liberal to counter-balance kavanaugh.

CJ Roberts retires - some serious medical conditions - Biden get to nominate CJ.

 

 

Make it better, Obama replaces RBG, Michelle takes over from Biden after 2 years or so.

14 hours ago, earlinclaifornia said:

16 hours ago, cmrichsw said:

If the US did not have a moran for potus I would agree

spelled moron

Good catch there, no need to insult the Moran family.

????