Sen. Ted Kennedy To Undergo Surgery for Brain Tumor

Senator Ted Kennedy is scheduled to undergo surgery to treat his malignant brain tumor today. According to a Kennedy spokesman, the surgery will begin at 9 a.m. this morning and will be performed at Duke University Medical Center, home of a renowned brain tumor center. The Senator is expected to remain at Duke for a week to recover. The news contradicts previous news reports that Kennedy's tumor was inoperable.

After surgery, it is expected that Kennedy will undergo radiation therapy as well as chemotherapy.

Senator Kennedy's Initial Diagnosis

It was announced that Senator Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor May 17, after spending a weekend hospitalized due to seizures. It was initially thought the Senator suffered from a stroke, but a preliminary brain biopsy showed a malignant glioma in Kennedy's left parietal lobe of his brain.

Rumors circulated that Kennedy's brain tumor was inoperable and the only treatment options are chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Treating doctors from Massachusetts General Hospital immediately issued a response statement stating that more tests needed to be conducted to determine Kennedy's treatment plan.

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