Senator John McCain Diagnosed with Brain Cancer

Republican Senator John McCain has spent more than three decades representing the state of Arizona. In 2008, he lost the presidential election to Barack Obama. 

This Wednesday, it was announced that McCain has a glioblastoma – the type of brain tumor that killed Ted Kennedy and Joe Biden’s son Beau.

This isn’t the first time McCain has struggled with cancer. The senator has had malignant melanomas removed in 1993, 2000, and 2002.  

McCain’s doctors discovered the brain tumor last week when they were removing a blood clot above his left eye. The senator was rushed into surgery to remove the tumor. The operation lasted between 3-4 hours.

According to CNN, “post-surgical brain scans show the tissue causing concern has been completely removed.” McCain showed no neurological oddities after the procedure. 

Doctors described McCain’s tumor as particularly aggressive. From here on out, “treatment options may include a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.”

McCain is currently recuperating at his home in Arizona. Multiple sources say his recovery is going well. 

“Cancer doesn’t know what it’s up against,” tweeted Obama. “Give it hell, John.”  

“He has never shied from a fight, and I know that he will face this challenge with the same extraordinary courage that has characterized his life,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). “We all look forward to seeing this American hero again soon.” 

“John is going to fight this with the same sheer force of will that has earned him the admiration of the nation,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan. “And all of us, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans, are behind him.”

McCain has serious influence in the Senate, despite his habit of arguing with colleagues from both parties. It is unknown when or if he will return to Capitol Hill. North Dakota Senator John Hoeven says the health care issue will be “more challenging without him.”

—

John McCain comes from a family dedicated to military service. His grandfather and father were four-star admirals in the US Navy. 

John graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1958 and went on to serve in the Vietnam War as a naval aviator. He almost died in 1967, when his plane was shot down in northern Vietnam. He remained a prisoner of war until 1973. 

McCain retired from the military in 1981, after which he served two terms in the House of Representatives. He became a Senator in 1986 and is currently serving his sixth term. He is also the head of the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

Editor’s note: We have been fans and critics of Senator McCain, as goes the sport of politics. But we at PBP wish him well in his personal struggle with cancer.