Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
McCain Diagnosed With Aggressive Type Of Brain Cancer
The New York Times: John McCain Has Brain Cancer, Senator’s Office Says
Senator John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee known for his independent streak over more than three decades representing Arizona in the Senate, has brain cancer, his office disclosed Wednesday night in a statement from the Mayo Clinic. Mr. McCain, 80, has a glioblastoma, one of the most common but also one of the most malignant brain tumors. It can be treated with chemotherapy and radiation, but medical experts said it almost always grows back. (Hulse, 7/19)
USA Today/Arizona Republic: Sen. John McCain Has Brain Tumor, Doctors Say
“It’s a very aggressive tumor,” said Dr. Joseph Zabramski, a neurosurgeon at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix not involved in McCain's treatment. “In general, it is a tumor that has relentless force. You can slow it down but not stop it.” (Nowicki, 7/19)
Los Angeles Times: Sen. John McCain Diagnosed With Brain Tumor After Recent Surgery
“The senator and his family are reviewing further treatment options,” the statement added, saying McCain’s “underlying health is excellent.” (Barabak, 7/19)
The Washington Post: John McCain, Republican Senator From Arizona, Diagnosed With Brain Tumor
McCain’s significance inside Congress is hard to overstate — and his absence, however long, will reverberate across the Capitol. The Arizonan’s illness leaves Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — and by proxy President Trump, who has openly mocked the Arizona senator — with 51 votes, the barest of majorities at a time when Republicans are divided on such issues as health care, taxes and defense spending. (Sullivan, Demirjian and Kane, 7/19)
Roll Call: McCain Diagnosis Puts Health Care Effort In More Jeopardy
Abrupt news that Arizona Sen. John McCain was diagnosed with brain cancer sent shock waves through an all-Republican meeting late Wednesday on the health care effort. Amid words of concern and encouragement for their GOP colleague, lawmakers acknowledged the difficulty his extended absence would place on the effort to overhaul the U.S. health insurance system. ... “Obviously, I think more people are worried about his health than thinking about the math, but you know, you understand the math,” Tennessee GOP Sen. Bob Corker told reporters about McCain. “Obviously, it makes things difficult.” (McIntire and Williams, 7/20)
The Washington Post: What Is Glioblastoma, The Cancer With Which John McCain Has Been Diagnosed?
Glioblastoma, the cancer with which Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has been diagnosed, is a highly lethal malignancy that killed Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Beau Biden, the son of former vice president Joseph Biden. Here is what you need to know. (McGinley, Sun and Bernstein, 7/19)
Stat: What To Know About Sen. John McCain's Brain Cancer Diagnosis
Senator John McCain has been diagnosed with the aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma, his office said on Wednesday. McCain had undergone surgery to remove a blood clot above his left eye last week, and a subsequent pathology report of that tissue found that it was cancerous. “The Senator and his family are reviewing further treatment options with his Mayo Clinic care team,” the release says. (Begley, 7/19)
Bloomberg: Senator McCain Diagnosed With Brain Tumor After Clot Removed
While there’s been a wave of new cancer treatments that are changing the outlook for certain types of tumors like skin cancer and some blood cancers, the brain continues to be a difficult organ to treat, largely due to the blood-brain barrier, a membrane that protects the brain from foreign invaders, but also prevents many drugs from crossing. (Chen and Sobczyk, 7/19)
The Wall Street Journal: Sen. John McCain Diagnosed With Brain Cancer
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) issued a brief statement late Wednesday calling Mr. McCain, who was a POW during the Vietnam War, a hero to Senate Republicans and to the country. “He has never shied from a fight and I know that he will face this challenge with the same extraordinary courage that has characterized his life,” Mr. McConnell said. “We all look forward to seeing this American hero again soon.” (Hughes, 7/19)
The Washington Post: ‘Give It Hell’: Obama, Lawmakers React To John McCain’s Cancer Diagnosis
President Trump, former presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, members of Congress and other Washington officials put aside bickering and partisan gridlock Wednesday night in a show of support for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who announced he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. (Horton, 7/19)
NPR: Senator John McCain Diagnosed With Glioblastoma, A Type Of Brain Tumor
President Trump released a statement saying, "Senator John McCain has always been a fighter. Melania and I send our thoughts and prayers to Senator McCain, Cindy, and their entire family. Get well soon." (Farrington, 7/19)
The Hill: Lawmakers Send Sen. McCain Well Wishes After Cancer Diagnosis
Lawmakers encouraged Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and shared well wishes after it was announced Wednesday night that he had been diagnosed with a form of brain cancer. "John McCain is a hero to our Conference and a hero to our country," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement Wednesday night. "He has never shied from a fight and I know that he will face this challenge with the same extraordinary courage that has characterized his life." (Delk, 7/19)
