Guest MStansell Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 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. 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. 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. Kennedy will remain in the hospital for the next couple of days according to routine protocol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke_Wilbur Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 He is going to have a hard battle. He is in my prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psycho Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Ditto here Luke! He is going to have a hard battle. He is in my prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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