Edward Kennedy has successful surgery for deadly brain tumour

Jun 3 2008

Doctors in the United States treating Senator Edward Kennedy for a brain tumour say he has undergone successful surgery.

Edward Kennedy was diagnosed with a malignant glioma, a particularly deadly form of brain cancer, in May and surgeons at Duke University Medical Center apparently removed the tumour in an operation which took three and a half hours.

Such surgery is risky because there is the chance that healthy brain tissue can be damaged and movement and speech affected.

Such tumours can affect a person's ability to speak and understand speech as well as the strength on the right side of the body.

According to top neurosurgeon Dr. Allan Friedman, the Senator should suffer no permanent damage from the procedure, but he is expected to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatment shortly.

Kennedy who is 76 will remain at the North Carolina center for about a week.

Dr. Allan Friedman says the Senator was given local rather than general anesthesia so that he would be awake for the surgery and should suffer no permanent neurological effects.

Before they operate the doctors locate the areas of the brain responsible for movement and speech and map them to ensure they avoid cutting into those areas.

The patient is fully aware of what is taking place and as the surgery progresses is asked various questions to test their language skills and to keep the brain stimulated.

Kennedy will be monitored for signs of bleeding that could lead to a stroke and probably be given drugs to prevent seizures and the brain swelling.

Experts say even with surgery, without other treatments, the tumour would reappear in a matter of months and usually kills within three years.