Republican Senator John McCain’s office announced in a statement Wednesday night that a recent surgery revealed a cancerous tumor in his brain, and that he is considering chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., questions former FBI Director James Comey during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Thursday, June 8, 2017, in Washington.
Alex Brandon
AP
According to the statement, the tumor was discovered after McCain underwent surgery for a blood clot above his left eye last Friday, July 14. That surgery was cited by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as a reason for deferring action on the Senate’s controversial health care bill, per CNN.
CNN spoke with the doctors who performed McCain’s surgery, and confirmed the senator’s statement that the tumor, a glioblastoma, has been completely removed. The statement said McCain is doing “amazingly well” and that his underlying health is “excellent.”
According to the New York Times, McCain’s current condition is unclear, as is the timeline for his return to the Senate. The Times reported Sunday that McCain’s initial surgery may have been more serious than first thought and quoted medical experts as saying that it could be a week or two before McCain could return to Washington.
McCain was previously diagnosed with skin cancer in 2000. His health was an issue of some speculation during his 2008 presidential run.
In a statement released by Press Secretary Sean Spicer, President Donald Trump, who has previously feuded with McCain, called the senator a “fighter.”
“Melania and I send our thoughts and prayers to Senator McCain, Cindy and their entire family. Get well soon,” the statement read.