What Kennedy's diagnosis could mean
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Doctors: Biopsy of Kennedy's brain showed a tumor in the left parietal lobe
Approximately 9,000 Americans a year are diagnosed with malignant gliomas
Gupta: Left parietal lobe controls motor skills of right side as well as speech (CNN) -- Sen. Edward Kennedy has the most common type of brain tumor, but the size and nature of the tumor will determine how life threatening it is, CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said Tuesday.
Sen. Edward Kennedy was diganosed with a malignant brain tumor.
Kennedy, 76, was hospitalized over the weekend after having a seizure.
Kennedy's doctors at the Massachusetts General Hospital said Tuesday that the preliminary results from the brain biopsy showed a tumor in the left parietal lobe was responsible for the seizure.
Gupta, who is also a neurosurgeon, said a tumor in that area of the brain could affect the senator's ability to speak and understand speech as well as the strength on the right side of his body.
Gupta said while he hasn't seen Kennedy's brain scans, doctors would normally perform surgery to try and remove as much of the tumor as possible. Doctors then would likely begin chemotherapy or radiation to try and kill the remaining cancerous cells.
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Doctors: Ted Kennedy has brain tumor
Doctors say Kennedy's tumor is a malignant glioma, but they have not said how large it is or how quickly it may be spreading.
Average survival can range from three to five years for moderately severe malignant gliomas to less than a year for very advanced and aggressive types such as glioblastomas.
About 9,000 Americans are diagnosed with malignant gliomas each year.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/05/20/kennedy.condition/index.html
