1st LD: Former U.S. president Carter says cancer has spread to brain
Xinhua, August 20, 2015 Adjust font size:
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said on Thursday that his cancer had already spread to his brain.
Speaking at a press conference for the first time since he announced his cancer diagnosis on Aug. 12, Carter said he has four small spots of melanoma on his brain and his radiation treatment would start later Thursday.
He underwent surgery on Aug. 3 to remove a tumor found on his liver, and nine days later, doctors informed him that the cancer had already spread to other parts of his body, the former president said, adding that doctors would do CAT scans to see where the four spots of melanoma on his brain originated.
Carter said he never considered not fighting the cancer because he has full faith in his doctors, and he chose to "hope for the best and accept what comes."
Carter's health has been closely watched this year. He cut short an election monitoring trip to Guyana in May after falling ill.
Carter, born in 1924, served as the 39th U.S. president from 1977 to 1981. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Endi