Ted Kennedy diagnosed with malignant brain tumour

New York, May 21 : Democrat Senator Edward M. Kennedy has been admitted to the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and been diagnosed with a malignant form of brain tumour.

According to the New York Times, doctors at the hospital are investigating the cause of a seizure that Kennedy, 76, suffered at his Cape Cod compound on Saturday.

They said preliminary results from a biopsy of the brain had revealed that he has a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe, the upper left part of his brain.

Dr. Lee H. Schwamm, the hospital's vice chairman of neurology, and Dr. Larry Ronan, Kennedy's primary care physician at the hospital, said in a statement that "the usual course of treatment includes combinations of various forms of radiation and chemotherapy" and that "decisions regarding the best course of treatment for Senator Kennedy will be determined after further testing and analysis."

News of the brain tumor jolted people in Washington, Massachusetts and beyond, generating reaction from around the world, where Kennedy's family legacy and his 46 years in the Senate have made him a well-known figure.

Aside from an unsuccessful run for president in 1980, Kennedy has focused his energy on issues including health care, education and civil rights. Despite his liberal ideology and occasional loud clashes on the Senate floor, Kennedy is held in high esteem by the opposition for his determination, understanding of the issues, and a willingness to work in a bipartisan fashion on subjects like education, health care and immigration.

In a statement, President Bush said, "Ted Kennedy is a man of tremendous courage, remarkable strength, and powerful spirit." Mr. Bush said he and his wife, Laura, "join our fellow Americans in praying for his full recovery."

Doctors and people close to Kennedy said he would remain in the hospital for the next couple of days.

Malignant glioma is the most common form of brain cancer, accounting for about 9,000 cases diagnosed each year in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. They are more common in older people, especially those between the ages of 75 and 84, according to the American Cancer Society.

ANI