Former President Jimmy Carter Diagnosed With Cancer

Former US President Jimmy Carter announced Wednesday that a recent medical intervention has revealed that he was suffering from cancer and that it had spread to other organs. I will be rearranging my schedule as necessary so I can undergo treatment by physicians at Emory Healthcare.

The 90 year old went public with the news on Wednesday (12Aug15), days after undergoing an elective procedure at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia to remove a small mass in his liver earlier this month (Aug15).

The White House says President Barack Obama has spoken with former President Jimmy Carter and wished him a full and speedy recovery from cancer.

In the wake of the announcement today that President Jimmy Carter has cancer, the 39th president has seen an outpouring of support and well-wishes.

Since ending his presidency, Carter has led the Atlanta-based Carter Center, which works on development and democracy in underserved countries.

Carter’s family has a history of pancreatic cancer. His three siblings all died of pancreatic cancer by 1990.

The cancer was revealed during Carter’s liver surgery, according to a statement made by the former President. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Rosalynn and the entire Carter family as they face this challenge with the same grace and determination that they have shown so many times before”.

“There’s a lot we don’t know, ” but the first task likely will be determining where the cancer originated, as that can help determine what treatment he may be eligible for, Lichtenfeld said.

Age by itself does not preclude successful cancer treatment, said Dr. Lodovico Balducci, a specialist on treating cancer in the elderly at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. “If chemo is considered it would need to take into account his age”. The goals of treatment would be his comfort.

Mayer says a 90-year-old patient cannot tolerate the same treatment that could buy years of life for cancer patients in their 60s or 70s.