February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Kennedy was flown to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston after suffering a seizure on Cape Cod.
“Preliminary results from a biopsy of the brain identified the cause of the seizure as a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe,” Dr. Lee Schwamm, vice chairman of the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Dr. Larry Ronan, Kennedy’s primary care physician, said in a joint statement Tuesday.
Reports indicated that Kennedy would now undergo treatment that will include
radiation and chemotherapy.
More medical tests in the coming days will determine the precise combination and degree of treatment.
In an ironic twist in the latest chapter of Senator Kennedy’s life, the hospitalization of the senior senator from Massachusetts came just days after he issued a statement accompanying a Senate bill aimed at improving health care for undocumented immigrants being held in federal detention centers.
It was unclear at presstime if Kennedy would be able to continue his work during the course of any treatment.
Kennedy is an Irish American elder statesman and a crucial figure in Congress in a number of legislative areas not least immigration reform.
Messages of support were sent to Kennedy Tuesday by, among others, Taoiseach Brian Cowen and President bush.
Congressman Richard Neal, who chairs the Friends of Ireland in Congress, said in a statement that Kennedy is an icon in American politics.
“He is my good friend and valued colleague. The people of Massachusetts know they have no better advocate in the United States Congress than Senator Kennedy.
He is fighter who has overcome adversity many times in his life. And he has spent his extraordinary career helping others. During this difficult time, I know the thoughts and prayers of the entire nation are with him, Vicki and the entire Kennedy family,” Neal said.