Senators Offer Support After Fellow Senator McCain Is Diagnosed With Brain Cancer

It Was Discovered During Surgery For A Blood Clot Last Week

PHOENIX, AZ — Doctors say Arizona Sen. John McCain has a brain tumor associated with a blood clot that was removed last week.

In a statement late Wednesday, doctors revealed that he has glioblastoma, the most aggressive cancer that begins within the brain.

It was discovered at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix during a surgery to remove a blood clot.

The 80-year-old senator and his family are reviewing further treatment, including a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.

His colleagues in the U.S. Senate have been issuing statements offering thoughts and prayers.

Statement from Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND): “Senator McCain is not only a leader in the Senate, but a true American hero and I’m fortunate to call him a friend and colleague. He has faced challenges throughout his life with determination and resolve, and I know that he will be a tenacious fighter in this battle. Mikey and I will keep Senator McCain and his family in our thoughts and continue to pray for his recovery.”

Statement from Sen. Heitkamp (D-ND): “To say John McCain is a fighter is an understatement. Time and time again, he has shown all of us how to be courageous under fire. Now, he has a new challenge. I have no doubt that he will go after this cancer with all of the energy, grit, and spirit that has animated his dedicated service to America. It’s a privilege to be able to call John and Cindy my friends, and I’m rooting and praying for both of them as well as their children and grandchild, and John’s mother, Roberta, who has been his rock throughout the years.”

Statement from Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN): “Senator McCain is a friend and mentor and a true patriot. He is a man of unbelievable conviction and courage. I once stood with him outside of the cell where he was held for over five years as a POW in Vietnam. That is where he made the decision to allow others to be released before him so he didn’t get special treatment. You don’t get braver than that. That’s why I know he is up for this fight.  “John McCain is also someone who is always a teacher to new senators, and he especially makes sure that on international trips women senators get the respect they deserve from foreign leaders. Maybe that is because he has always been surrounded by strong women – his wife and my friend Cindy, his mom, and his daughters. I know that they – along with the rest of his family – are all there for him tonight, as is our entire country. Our country owes a lot to John McCain, and we stand with him tonight.”