John McCain Has Been Diagnosed With Brain Cancer

After undergoing surgery for a blood clot above his eye, Sen. John McCain was diagnosed with brain cancer. According to a statement from the Arizona senator's office, the blood clot was associated with a tumor in his brain that was found via a scan after the surgery to remove the blood clot was completed. He is reportedly recovering well from the surgery and is discussing treatment options with his doctors and family.

Senator McCain appreciates the outpouring of support he has received over the last few days. He is in good spirits as he continues to recover at home with his family in Arizona. He is grateful to the doctors and staff at Mayo Clinic for their outstanding care, and is confident that any future treatment will be effective.

His daughter Meghan McCain released a statement stating that the news of her father's illness was shocking to the family, but that they were used to the anxiety, given his previous battle with cancer. McCain survived melanoma, a form of skin cancer which, according to The New York Times, has a history of making its way to the brain. According to CBS News, the melanoma lesion he had removed in 2000 was close to his left eye, where the blood clot was found.

"It won't surprise you to learn that in all this, the one of us who is the most confident and calm is my father," Meghan McCain wrote. "He is the toughest person I know."

The kind of tumor McCain has is called a glioblastoma, a highly cancerous form of tumor that is difficult to treat. The senator's office said treatment options "may include a combination of chemotherapy and radiation."

Whether or not McCain will return to the Senate is still up in the air. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently delayed a vote on the Republican health care bill until McCain returned from his surgery, though the bill ultimately failed anyway. According to the statement from his office, the senator will continue to consult with his team at the Mayo Clinic, and that will determine when he will return.