I just saw on CNN that Sen. Kennedy has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Very sad.

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A long time public servant, and polarizing figure.

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Having known someone who's passed away due to brain cancer and the suffering it caused; I wouldn't wish it on anyone, regardless of where they sat on the political fence. I hope things work out OK for Sen. Kennedy and his family in this difficult time.

Sad, yes.

But he's a long, successful, distinguished career. Has family support.

And everyone dies.

I agree. There are many who never the chance to fulfill their potential. This is a sad moment, but as Hamlet says in act V scene II, "if it be not now, yet it will come -- readiness is everything." The man lived a full life filled with great service and flaw.

Even money on whether it would have been better to go out like his brothers than what this thing is going to do to him.

I've watched two people I know go out from brain cancer. One was a few years shy of Kennedy's age, the other was a four year old. Its pure Hell, any way you slice it. The 'treatment' for these things is almost worse than the disease itself.

Personally, I'd give him nine months, at the outside. If the seizures are just now starting, he's got a little time before he starts really showing signs of the struggle, but once this thing metasticizes, the collapse is unbelievably fast.

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I'm not completely heartless, the doctor who removed it told me he'd never be able to get it all.

I think that with a brain tumor like that, metastasis is not the real problem. The primary tumor itself will kill just by growing. Though of course, metastasis doesn't help any...

Anyway, I'm sorry to hear it.

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I met him once in Belfast when he had been fundraising for Noraid and Sinn Fein, he and Gerry Adams were both charming men until the cameras started rolling.

I'm a bit surprised that the family is taking this so hard. He's 76. If this were 1969 (still young, so soon after John and Robert's assassinations) I could understand their reaction.

He's been fortunate this long.

Sure, no diagnosis like that is ever welcome. But be grateful it's now and not 30 years ago. Everyone will die of something.

Oh?

Larry King is a charming man...until the cameras stop rolling.

My cousin died last year of brain cancer. It was really hard on him. There were things he remembered he could do, but it was impossible for him to do them. Even typing on a keyboard was impossible. Add to that the tumor soon paralyzed the left half of his body and it got worse. It is a very unpleasant way to go.

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"I will do my best to understand and explain the universe from big to small without invoking miracles, unrepeatable events, or divine intervention. In place of those things I will use observations, mathematics, and science."


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Those that lack education have a hard time understanding its value. - Cross

Today, 76 is not that old, especially in developed countries. The average lifespan is close to 80, meaning there are many people who live even longer.

Is there any chance the tumor could be surgically removed before it metastasizes?

A loved one of yours is dying in a particularly unpleasant fashion. How hard do you take it?

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I was going to say precisely the same thing.

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The physicians' statements mentioned only radiation and chemotherapy. Notably, there was no mention of surgery.

This suggests (to knowledgeable physicians, not just me) that the tumor is either too large for surgery, or is badly positioned. Another possibility is that they need more tests to determine whether surgery is feasible, and are keeping mum until they know for sure.

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Nadme, when you're 76 and diagnosed with something like this, it may look very different to you.

While I was not a fan of everything Edward Kennedy did, I did admire his tenacious fight for those in our country who didn't have an advocate and I respect his experiences. It's hard to see someone as vibrant as he is diagnosed with something as bad as this cancer. There are few like him, and I doubt we'll ever see his equal again.

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My grandfather died of lung cancer in 2002. He was a few years older than Senator Kennedy is now. This was very difficult for everyone involved. The person's age doesn't make it easier when it's your family member and they're suffering from a terminal illness.

Are the Kennedy's in general a polarizing enough political family to consider most threads discussing them as related to politics and thus off limits? It's really an inviting trap that some seem to have already fallen victim. I realize that the thread is about an illness, but would anyone even know the family if it weren't for politics?

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We talk about famous people all the time in BABBling, no matter what they are famous for. I don't see a problem talking about it, as long as we avoid politics. With one exception, I haven't seen any problems in this thread with following that. But then I'm not a mod and I don't play one on TV.

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In an NPR discussion yesterday, it was mentioned that brain tumors are difficult to excise because the boundaries tend to be ill-defined and surgeons are very worried about taking too much and impairing important brain functions.