Topic: Senator Edward Kennedy has Malignant Brain Tumor
Tracy9
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7521
posted
Sen. Edward Kennedy has malignant brain tumor By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago
A cancerous brain tumor caused the seizure Sen. Edward M. Kennedy suffered over the weekend, doctors said Tuesday in a grim diagnosis for one of American politics' most enduring figures. "He remains in good spirits and full of energy," the doctors for the 76-year-old Massachusetts Democrat said in a statement.
They said tests conducted after the seizure showed a tumor in Kennedy's left parietal lobe. Preliminary results from a biopsy of the brain identified the cause of the seizure as a malignant glioma, they said.
His treatment will be decided after more tests but the usual course includes combinations of radiation and chemotherapy.
Kennedy has been hospitalized in Boston since Saturday, when he was airlifted from Cape Cod after a seizure at his home.
"He has had no further seizures, remains in good overall condition, and is up and walking around the hospital," said the statement by Dr. Lee Schwamm, vice chairman of the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Dr. Larry Ronan, Kennedy's primary care physician.
They said Kennedy will remain in the hospital "for the next couple of days according to routine protocol."
Kennedy's wife and children have been with him each day since he was hospitalized. Senator Kennedy's son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., plans to stay at the hospital for the time being.
"Obviously it's tough news for any son to hear," said spokeswoman Robin Costello. "He's comforted by the fact that his dad is such a fighter, and if anyone can get through something as challenging as this, it would be his father. So he's optimistic, he's hopeful, but obviously he's concerned."
President Bush was notified by his staff of Kennedy's diagnosis at 1:20 p.m.
"He said he was deeply saddened and would keep Senator Kennedy in his prayers," spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
Malignant gliomas are a type of brain cancer diagnosed in about 9,000 Americans a year -- and the most common type among adults. It's an initial diagnosis: How well patients fare depends on what specific tumor type is determined by further testing.
Average survival can range from less than a year for very advanced and aggressive types -- such as glioblastomas -- or to about five years for different types that are slower growing.
News of the diagnosis hit hard for colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
"I'm really sad," former Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said when told in a Senate hallway about Kennedy's condition. "He's the one politician who brings tears to my eyes when he speaks."
"I am so deeply saddened I have lost the words," Sen. John Warner, R-Va., said in a Senate hallway. Warner said he and Kennedy had been friends for 40 years. Both served on the Senate Armed Services Committee together.
Kennedy, the second-longest serving member of the Senate and a dominant figure in national Democratic Party politics, was elected in 1962, filling out the term won by his brother, John F. Kennedy.
His eldest brother, Joseph, was killed in a World War II airplane crash. President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 and his brother Robert was assassinated in 1968.
Kennedy is active for his age, maintaining an aggressive schedule on Capitol Hill and across Massachusetts. He has made several campaign appearances for Sen. Barack Obama in February, and most recently last month.
Kennedy, the senior senator from Massachusetts and the Senate's second-longest serving member, was re-elected in 2006 and is not up for election again until 2012.
Were he to resign or die in office, state law requires a special election for the seat no sooner than 145 days and no later than 160 days after the vacancy occurs.
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AP reporter Lauran Neergaard in Washington contributed to this report.
13 years Lyme & Co.; Small Fiber Neuropathy; Myasthenia Gravis, Adrenal Insufficiency. On chemo for 2 1/2 years as experimental treatment for MG. Posts: 4480 | From Northeastern Connecticut | Registered: Jun 2005
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sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
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What does this have to do with Lyme?
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
My prayers go out to him and his family. I hope he recovers successfully and is comfortable throughout his ordeal.
Sparkle... to answer your question...
Senator Kennedy is the head of the Congressional health committee that has refused to bring the Lyme bill up for a hearing.
If you will note- his friends- some being Warner in VA (who was quoted in this article) and Mikulski in Maryland, have followed his lead. Warner still won't sign on as a co-sponsor and Mikulski did sign on after everyone else did in the state... but has not, in my opinion, been actively pressing the issue at all.
In other words, Pallone is on the House side of Congress in charge of HR-741. And Kennedy is on the Senate side in charge of S-1708. Same bill- different ball games.
These two men have the power to help us or not.. and woefully they have chosen not to... and have listened to the IDSA instead.
My prayers will include the message that hopefully Senator Kennedy gets better care and more compassion than we have... and won't have a 30 year battle fighting for help on his hands.
AliG
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9734
posted
I am praying along with you Tincup,
Perhaps there could be a link to this type of cancer & Lyme Disease? Treepatrol was doing a lot of research on Lyme/cancer a while back.
It would be horribly ironic, if funding for Lyme research could have meant the Senator could have an easier time fighting his cancer with ABX than with chemo & radiation.
This is not a good thing for ANY person & their family to go through. It's very sad.
I hope that he can learn compassion for suffering people & be healed.
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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tailz
Unregistered
posted
His brain tumor is most likely related to his cell phone use and cell phone towers in general. In fact, I sent him an email this morning regarding just that after I heard.
I had no idea he was behind the holdup in Congress of the Lyme bill...hmmm?
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quote:Originally posted by tailz: His brain tumor is most likely related to his cell phone use and cell phone towers in general. In fact, I sent him an email this morning regarding just that after I heard.
Oh my! That is a tasteless thing to do at this time!
-------------------- The Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation www.canlyme.com Posts: 128 | From Canada | Registered: Sep 2006
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Tracy9
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7521
posted
Tincup,
Thank you so much for responding to Sparkle's comment.
I honestly thought that with all the posts, flyers, and emails urging us to make calls regarding the Lyme Bill, by now everyone knew of Senator Kennedy's role as a key player in it.
With Sparkle being from New Jersey, where the Lyme Rally was just held....I'm scratching my head as to how all this could have eluded him/her.
He was at the top of the list for us to call regarding scheduling the bill for a hearing.
That is why I posted this; since we are all supposed to be making calls to his office regarding the lyme bill. Obviously, he is now out of commission.
13 years Lyme & Co.; Small Fiber Neuropathy; Myasthenia Gravis, Adrenal Insufficiency. On chemo for 2 1/2 years as experimental treatment for MG. Posts: 4480 | From Northeastern Connecticut | Registered: Jun 2005
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It's very sad. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
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