Earlier this year, GOP Senator John McCain underwent surgery to remove a blood clot above his left eye, however, it was later confirmed that the clot was connected to brain cancer.
"On Friday, July 14, Sen. John McCain underwent a procedure to remove a blood clot from above his left eye at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix. Subsequent tissue pathology revealed that a primary brain tumor known as a glioblastoma was associated with the blood clot," read the statement.
A former Vietnam veteran and prisoner of war, McCain returned to Washington shortly after his diagnosis to vote on the Better Care Act before starting treatment. The statement revealed that he would undergo a combination of chemotherapy and radiation, but his prognosis was very poor.
"They said that it's very serious. That the prognosis is very, very serious," McCain told 60 Minutes. "Some say three percent, some say 14 percent. You know, it's a very poor prognosis. So I just said, 'I understand. Now we're gonna do what we can, get the best doctors we can find and do the best we can.' And, at the same time, celebrate with gratitude a life well lived."
The senator has been continuously receiving treatment for the aggressive stage 4 cancer, and has since completed his first round of chemotherapy. In the wake of his diagnosis, his daughter, Meghan McCain and her fiance, Ben Domenech, made the decision to get married as soon as possible.
Although McCain's presence wasn't guaranteed, he did end up attending the wedding, which took place on November 21. He later told People Magazine that seeing his daughter walk down the aisle was a dream come true.
"The thing in life you want more than anything else is for your kids to be happy," the senator said. "And I'm confident that she will be. It was really a wonderful day."
It's been a few weeks since we last heard from McCain, but according to a statement released by his office, he has been hospitalized once again.
McCain's office released a statement announcing that the Arizona senator has been admitted to the Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland to treat complications brought on by the cancer treatments.
The statement confirmed that these are just "normal side effect of his ongoing cancer therapy."
"As ever, he remains grateful to his physicians for their excellent care, and his friends and supporters for their encouragement and good wishes. Senator McCain looks forward to returning to work as soon as possible," the statement read.
The news of the 81-year-old senator's hospitalization comes just one day after former Vice-President Joe Biden offered advice and comforted Meghan over the health of her father during his appearance on the talk show The View.
Biden, who had been a longtime friend of McCain, lost his son, Beau, to the same brain cancer a few years ago. He told Meghan that there's hope and medical breakthroughs that may be able to help her father beat the awful disease.
"If anybody can make it, your dad [can]," said Biden. "Maintain hope."
Our prayers are with Senator McCain and his family. We wish him a speedy recovery.