Senator Kennedy is currently undergoing surgery at Duke University Medical Center:
"Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was at Duke University Medical Center on Monday for a risky six-hour surgery for his cancerous brain tumor, and faces chemotherapy and radiation treatment following the procedure."
More below the fold:
"...The surgery was scheduled to begin around 9 a.m., said Anthony Coley, a Kennedy spokesman. The hospital had given no updates by late morning. The senator was expected to remain at the North Carolina facility for one week to recuperate and then will begin further treatments at Massachusetts General Hospital and start chemotherapy..."
In a statementby Senator Kennedy prior to the surgery, he said:
"Afterward, Kennedy said in the statement, he expects to remain in the hospital "to recuperate for approximately one week."
He added, "Shortly thereafter, I will start radiation treatments at Massachusetts General Hospital and begin chemotherapy."
This surgery, according to the reports by CNN's Dr. Gupta and other experts being interviewed, this surgery will last several hours, and requires extreme skill.
This is a short diary, which I just want to get out there so we can all send good out wishes and prayers for a successful surgery and speedy, full recovery by Senator Kennedy.
UPDATE: CNN anchor was just interviewing of a Dr. Henderson regarding the surgery and regarding a cancer vaccine for glioblastoma that is in Phase I & Phase II (?) testing. Here are a couple of quotes:
"Extremely delicate operation...crossing fibers that control the visual and auditory areas of the brain...the senator will be awake during the surgery"
"The vaccine is being tested in clinical trials in UCSF and UCLA..."
There was discussion earlier of the vaccine, but I'm didn't catch whether or not Senator Kennedy or his doctors are actually considering use of the vaccine for his case, or if the discussion was just a discussion of possible treatment options for glioma patients in general.