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3rd Ld Writethru: Jimmy Carter's cancer treatment less toxic than past treatments: doctor

Xinhua, August 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's doctor said on Thursday Carter's cancer treatment would not have the toxicity of past treatments.

Speaking hours after Carter held his first press conference since his announcement of cancer diagnosis on Aug. 12, Dr. Walter Curran Jr. from Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University told reporters that apart from radiation treatment, Carter would also receive injection of a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration in February.

Being designed to boost Carter's immune system and help his immune system to fight melanoma, the drug doesn't have "the terrible side effects" that treatments of the past had, Dr. Curran said, adding that the treatments would last for three months.

Carter said on Thursday that his cancer had already spread to his brain.

Speaking at a press conference in Atlanta, Carter said he has four small spots of melanoma on his brain and his radiation treatment would start later Thursday.

So far, the pain was "very slight", said Carter, adding that he was not feeling any weakness or debility.

He underwent surgery on Aug. 3 to remove a tumor found on his liver, and had once thought that the cancer was confined to his liver. However, a Magnatic Resonance Imaging soon found that cancer had already spread to his brain.

"I just thought I had a few weeks left, but I was surprisingly at ease," said Carter, adding that cancer had so far been found only in his liver and brain.

Four family members of Carter, including his father, brother and two sisters, died of pancreatic cancer. Canter said no cancer had been found on his pancreatic so far.

Doctors still hadn't been able to find out where the cancer 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. Enditem