Kennedy has malignant brain tumor

By Globe Staff

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the long-serving liberal icon from Massachusetts who was hospitalized this weekend after suffering a seizure, has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, his doctors revealed today.

"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 neurology department at Massachusetts General Hospital and Dr. Larry Ronan, Kennedy's doctor, said this afternoon in a statement.

The statement said the usual course of treatment includes combinations of various forms of radiation and chemotherapy.

The doctors said decisions regarding the best course of treatment for Senator Kennedy will be determined after further testing and analysis.

"He has had no further seizures, remains in good overall condition, and is up and walking around the hospital. ... Senator Kennedy will remain at Massachusetts General Hospital for the next couple of days according to routine protocol. He remains in good spirits and full of energy," the statement said.

Kennedy's wife and children have been with him each day since he was hospitalized but have made no public statements.

Senate Democrats and Republicans were in their separate weekly policy lunches when word reached them of the diagnosis.

CNN reported there was stunned silence.

Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts said the Kennedys have faced more serious adversity more times than most families face once.

"Everyone of us knows what a big heart this fellow has," Kerry said, calling his colleague a "living legend." "This guy is one unbelievable fighter.. He's in a fighting mood."

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, said he talked to Kennedy's wife, Vicki, and the senator is in good spirits.

"The Senate really is a family," Reid said. "We as a family are tremendously concerned about Senator Kennedy.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, said colleagues said a prayer for Kennedy and his family. "They have experienced so much tragedy in their lives," he said at a news conference.

Barack Obama, whose presidential bid was lifted in late January by Kennedy's enthusiastic endorsement, said he is saddened by the news, but remains optimistic.

"Ted Kennedy is a fighter," the Democratic front-runner said on CNN. "We want to make sure he's fighting this illness....He's not only a great senator, he's a great friend."

Obama said he would not be running for president if not for voting rights and civil rights battles won by Kennedy. "I stand on his shoulders," Obama said.

Hillary Clinton also offered her support. “Ted Kennedy’s courage and resolve are unmatched, and they have made him one of the greatest legislators in Senate history," she said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with him and Vicki and we are praying for a quick and full recovery.”

Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for the presidency, said aboard his Straight Talk Express campaign bus: "I have described Ted Kennedy as the last lion in the Senate." McCain, who has worked across the aisle with Kennedy on several key bills despite their ideological differences, spoke of Kennedy in a voice filled with emotion: "He remains the single most effective member of the Senate if you want to get results. He is not reluctant to share the credit, and if it fails he is willing to take the blame."

Howard Dean, Democratic National Committee chairman and former Vermont governor, issued a statement: "Senator Kennedy is a true American hero and a leader in the Democratic Party, having spent a lifetime standing up for the values of fairness, justice and equality. On behalf of the Democratic Party, we extend our prayers and well wishes to Senator Kennedy, his wife Vicky, and the entire Kennedy family."

President Bush also issued a statement: "Laura and I are concerned to learn of our friend Senator Kennedy's diagnosis. Ted Kennedy is a man of tremendous courage, remarkable strength, and powerful spirit. Our thoughts are with Senator Kennedy and his family during this difficult period. We join our fellow Americans in praying for his full recovery."

Senator Kent Conrad, a North Dakota Democrat, predicted if anyone could overcome the illness Kennedy would. “Look what he’s been through in his life,“ Conrad said, according to CNN.

Senator Frank Lautenberg, a Democrat from New Jersey, said “Ted Kennedy makes the Senate the place that it is and has for so many years,” CNN reported.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Kennedy's son Patrick called her with the news.

"I have confidence because he is a fighter," she said. "I know that fighting spirit will hold him in good stead."

Malignant gliomas are a type of brain cancer diagnosed in about 9,000 Americans a year -- and the most common type among adults. It's a startling diagnosis: How well patients fare depends on what specific tumor type is found.

Average survival can range from less than a year for very advanced and aggressive types -- such as glioblastomas -- to about five years for different types that are slower-growing.

Material from The Associated Press was included in this report.