Former U.S. presidential nominee and current Arizona Senator John McCain has been diagnosed with brain cancer at 80 years old, his doctors announced Wednesday. McCain underwent a minor procedure last week to remove a blood clot from above his left eye, which lab results later revealed was associated with a brain tumor known as a glioblastoma. The tumor is considered aggressive, with patients typically surviving around 14 months with treatment.
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix told CNN that McCain was recovering “amazingly well” from the surgery, which completely removed the cancerous tissue. “The Senator and his family are reviewing further treatment options with his Mayo Clinic care team,” they said, adding that “treatment options may include a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.” McCain was previously diagnosed with melanoma in 2000, and has received regular cancer screenings since.
The Republican senator, who also serves as the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is known nationwide for his two unsuccessful bids for the presidency, as well as his former status as a Vietnam prisoner-of-war. Under the Trump administration, McCain has broken ranks with the Republican party and advocated for a bipartisan approach to health-care. His surgery last week prompted the Senate to defer action on the GOP’s Better Care Reconciliation Act.