BOSTON (AP) - Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has a malignant brain
tumor.
Doctors for the Massachusetts Democrat say tests conducted after
Kennedy suffered a seizure this weekend show a tumor in his 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.
The 76-year-old senator has been hospitalized in Boston since
Saturday, when he was airlifted from Cape Cod after a seizure at
his home.
His wife and children have been with him each day but have made
no public statements.
His doctors said in a statement released to The Associated Press
that he has had no further seizures, is in good spirits and is
resting comfortably.
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 a starting 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.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)