U.S. Senator McCain diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer

[webfact]

U.S. Senator McCain diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer

By Patricia Zengerle

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator John McCain looks on during a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan on July 4, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee known for political independence during more than three decades in the Senate, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, his office said on Wednesday.

 

The 80-year-old lawmaker and former Navy pilot, who was re-elected to a sixth Senate term in November, has been recovering at home in Arizona since undergoing surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix last Friday to remove a blood clot from above his left eye.

 

Tissue analysis since that procedure revealed that a brain tumor known as a glioblastoma was associated with the clot, his office said.

 

McCain's doctors said he was recovering from surgery "amazingly well" and that his underlying health was excellent. Treatment options include a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.

 

However, glioblastoma is considered a grade IV tumor, the most malignant of gliomas. Medical experts said it can be very aggressive and spread into other parts of the brain quickly.

 

"It takes people’s lives almost uniformly ... The tumor cells are very resistant to conventional therapy, such as radiation and chemotherapy. It’s a poor prognosis," said Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, who chairs the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Washington.

 

McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain, said the family was shocked by the diagnosis but that her father was the "most confident and calm" of them all as he prepared for a new battle against cancer.

 

McCain has had non-invasive melanomas removed at least three times. He also overcame injuries suffered as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, where he endured beatings and torture by his North Vietnamese captors.

 

Questions about McCain's health arose during a recent Senate hearing when the lawmaker, normally a keen interrogator of witnesses, rambled during questioning of former FBI Director James Comey. His doctors told CNN on Wednesday, however, that he had no sign of neurological impairment before or during his surgery.

 

His fellow members of Congress rushed to offer tributes to McCain and wishes for his quick recovery. Known for an independent political streak, ready wit and strong opinions, McCain is one of the best-known and most popular U.S. lawmakers among his peers and the media.

 

Senator Lindsey Graham, a long-time friend, said McCain was "resolved and determined" when they spoke by telephone. "This disease has never had a more worthy opponent."

 

While known as a fierce advocate for strong U.S. military action overseas, McCain also has a reputation for working with Democrats on issues from clamping down on campaign finance abuses to immigration reform. This week, McCain called for a bipartisan approach to overhauling the U.S. healthcare system.

 

'GIVE IT HELL, JOHN'

 

"Senator John McCain has always been a fighter," said President Donald Trump. "Get well soon."

 

Former Democratic President Barack Obama, who defeated McCain for the White House in 2008, called McCain "an American hero and one of the bravest fighters I've ever known. Cancer doesn't know what it's up against. Give it hell, John."

 

McCain was one of Congress' most vocal critics of Obama's foreign policy, but he has also raised questions about Trump, a fellow Republican.

 

McCain found himself to be a brief side issue in the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination when he criticized Trump, who responded by saying McCain was not a war hero because he had been captured by the Vietnamese.

 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called McCain, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, a hero and said he looked forward to having him back in Washington.

 

McCain, the son and grandson of admirals, was a U.S. Navy pilot. His plane was shot down over Vietnam in 1967 and he spent 5-1/2 years as a prisoner of war.

 

One of McCain's proudest moments as a U.S. senator was working to pass legislation banning torture in 2015.

 

When he was offered release because of his father's rank, McCain refused to be freed before those who had been held captive longer. He finally returned to the United States in 1973, with other prisoners of war.

 

McCain's absence this week has complicated efforts by Trump and his fellow Republicans to repeal Obama's Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. McCain's absence from Washington makes it difficult for McConnell to gather the 50 votes he needs in a chamber where the party holds only a 52-48-seat margin.

 

His absence could also complicate progress toward passing the annual National Defense Authorization Act, a $700 billion piece of legislation setting policy for the Department of Defense that must pass every year.

 

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Richard Cowan and Yasmeen Abutaleb in Washington, Eric M. Johnson in Seattle and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Kieran Murray and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-07-20

[darksidedog]

I haven't always agreed with McCain on many issues, but I do respect him as a man of integrity and decency. He is everything Donald is not. I wish him the best of luck in fighting the cancer, which I am sure he will do aggressively and with dignity.

[Zikomat]

Wish him well.

[Jingthing]

There was a recent line of questioning from McCain related to the trump-Russia investigation that many people found incoherent and bizarre. Really out of character for McCain. People were gossiping, time to retire, McCain. I wonder if that was a symptom of his disease. 

 

I never wanted him to be president, but the country would be much better off if more republicans were as independent minded as he has been. 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2017 by Jingthing

[mamypoko]

Speedy recovery, Sir

[Cats4ever]

I remember during his presidential run when one of his audience (good ol' boy) said something racist about Obama and McCain contradicted him and denied the truth of what was said. He is more conservative than me, but he is decent and I wish him well. Pity there aren't more decent people in politics in a lot of places.

[how241]

Good luck to him.  A great man.

[kamahele]

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

There was a recent line of questioning from McCain related to the trump-Russia investigation that many people found incoherent and bizarre. Really out of character for McCain. People were gossiping, time to retire, McCain. I wonder if that was a symptom of his disease. 

 

I never wanted him to be president, but the country would be much better off if more republicans were as independent minded as he has been. 

 

 

I did hear this morning on the news that one of his symptoms had been fatigue so your guess is probably correct.

[howbri]

The dimmrats will miss him.

[Jingthing]

19 minutes ago, howbri said:

The dimmrats will miss him.

Dimmrats? Is that from the kovfefe dictionary?

[Stardust314]

http://irishsavant.blogspot.no/2008/05/real-mccoy-mccain.html?zx=eeeeb3b48a04a9e5   I imagine there is a special place in hell for War Mongerers.

  

And now  Pelosi and Lindsay and Schumer and Schiff....  

[Thakkar]

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

There was a recent line of questioning from McCain related to the trump-Russia investigation that many people found incoherent and bizarre. Really out of character for McCain. People were gossiping, time to retire, McCain. I wonder if that was a symptom of his disease. 

 

I never wanted him to be president, but the country would be much better off if more republicans were as independent minded as he has been. 

 

 

While he hasn't been as bad as most republican lawmakers, that's a pretty low bar.

he talks the good talk about listening to your voters and all that, but when it comes to crunch time, he votes with the rest of the corporatist lawmakers unless he's sure his opposing vote won't change the outcome. There was a time when he really was a maverick and voted for what was best for his constituents, but that was a very, very long time ago

 

He certainly doesn't deserve brain cancer and my heart goes out to him on that front. He also doesn't deserve the unearned plaudits he's been getting.

 

T

Edited July 20, 2017 by Thakkar

[Jack100]

In Trumpspeak the response to this tragic situation would be that he prefers healthy to sick politicians ..............

[Jingthing]

In Trumpspeak the response to this tragic situation would be that he prefers healthy to sick politicians ..............

Bingo

[Guitar God]

Too bad it wasn't Trump instead of McCaine. 

[MarkusAUST]

2 minutes ago, Guitar God said:

Too bad it wasn't Trump instead of McCaine. 

Trump is brain damaged, but sadly not dying. I agree it would be much better news if it were him instead of McCain. Given his highly unusual behaviour, it is highly likely there is something seriously wrong upstairs and we can but hope that it turns out to be fatal.

[Grouse]

32 minutes ago, Guitar God said:

Too bad it wasn't Trump instead of McCaine. 

Unpleasant comment

[Jingthing]

Trump is brain damaged, but sadly not dying. I agree it would be much better news if it were him instead of McCain. Given his highly unusual behaviour, it is highly likely there is something seriously wrong upstairs and we can but hope that it turns out to be fatal.

I don't want trump to die just get sent back to his tower with his baby man head between his legs. Plus kicked off Twitter. Natch.

[SOTIRIOS]

...wouldn't wish it on anyone....

 

...a shame...he appeared to have 'turned a new leaf' recently....and seemed to be 'coming clean'....

 

...which event preceded which...???

 

...maybe he has more things to reveal before he departs...

 

...wish him luck....

[Ulic]

John McCain never sew a war he didn't want America to be involved in. That said he did have integrity and class. Best wishes as he fights the battles of life.  

[Scott]

Off-topic posts removed.   

[Tug]

He is a class act he is everything trump isent that's why trump hates him

[RuamRudy]

Whilst it is a tragedy for anyone to suffer such a condition, it is probably a particularly bitter irony for Tashi Pratt King, who's husband died from the same disease in 2012. Before he died, they wrote to McCain to ask for his help in keeping the health insurance that was paying for his treatment but was being withdrawn.

 

According to Pratt King, "McCain sent us a letter back saying it might be best to move out of Arizona because he did not consider health insurance (and thus, access to healthcare itself) a human right."