A cancerous brain tumor caused the seizure Sen. Edward M. Kennedy suffered over the weekend. From beyond the grave, Mary Jo Kopechne is smiling.Doctors said tests conducted after the seizure showed a tumor in Kennedy's left parietal lobe. Preliminary results from a biopsy of the brain identified the cause of the seizure as a malignant glioma. His treatment will be decided after more tests but the usual course includes combinations of radiation and chemotherapy.
Malignant gliomas are a type of brain cancer diagnosed in about 9,000 Americans a year — and the most common type among adults. Average survival can range from less than a year for very advanced and aggressive types — such as glioblastomas — or to about five years for different types that are slower growing.
Like the other sons of Joe, Kennedy is going to meet an unpleasant end, albeit lengthier than his siblings. His eldest brother Joseph was killed in a World War II airplane crash, while presidential bro John was famously assassinated in 1963. Presidential candidate Robert was assassinated in 1968.
While tubby Teddy himself did not run for the nation's high office, his endorsements for other candidates were commonly viewed as very important. Of course, they've all ended in failure. In 1988 he supported the successful bid of Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis to win the nomination. Four years later he initially backed former fellow Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas, who lost to Bill Clinton. In 2000 Kennedy supported Vice President Al Gore against former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley. In 2004 he backed fellow Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, who won the nomination and lost the election. Currently Kennedy is supporting Senator Barack Obama...you do the math.
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