Jimmy Carter says cancer has spread to his brain
In a remarkable press conference at the library named for him, 90-year-0ld former President Jimmy Carter disclosed to an auditorium full of supporters and journalists that the cancer discovered in his liver last month has spread to his brain.
He identified his cancer as melanoma, and doctors have found four spots in his brain. "They are very small spots," Carter said. His first treatment begins today.
"I'm going to cut back fairly dramatically on my activities," he said. Carter said Jason Carter, his grandson and a former Democratic candidate for governor, will take over in November as chairman of the board of trustees of the Carter Center.
The first question from reporters: How did he react to the initial diagnosis. "I was surprisingly at ease -- much more than my wife was," he said.
The former president showed up in a jacket and blue jeans, and took the stairs leading to a table facing reporters with no assistance.
More on this as the press conference proceeds.
About the Author
Jim Galloway, the newspaper’s former political columnist, was a writer and editor at the AJC for four decades.
