Jun 2, 2008 7:00 pm US/Eastern
Q & A: Understanding Sen. Kennedy's Latest Surgery
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
A family spokeswoman said that Sen. Kennedy is now out of surgery at Duke Medical Center. His doctor said the procedure was successful and "accomplished our goals."
Despite the doctor's positive words and optimistic feedback, many supporters are still wondering what the senator is going through. His cancer crisis has left many of us with some medical questions. CBS 2's Dr. Holly Phillips joins the noon newscast to shed some light on the senator's cancer battle.
Dana Tyler: What do you think the senator's medical team hopes to accomplish with this type of very risky surgery?
Dr. Phillips: They have stated that this is a targeted surgery, so the focus will be on removing this main tumor that he has in his left parietal lobe. They probably won't try to remove any other cancerous cells in the brain, but by removing this tumor they might cut down on the possibility that he has another seizure, which of course led to his diagnosis in the first place.
Don Dahler: But do you think this improves his prognosis?
Dr. Phillips: It doesn't change his prognosis. Really, that will depend on how he responds to chemo and radiation in the coming months. The surgery is going to target that main tumor, but he has a malignant glioma. That means there's probably cancer elsewhere in the brain, and if the chemo and radiation can target that, he'll have a better prognosis.
Dana Tyler: Anytime we hear brain surgery we know this is risky, risky business. What are the risks of this specific procedure for the senator?
Dr. Phillips: Well, exactly. The doctors have to make sure they do more good than harm. It's a very delicate procedure. They will try to remove this tumor without damaging the surrounding brain. It's in the left parietal lobe, that's a part of the brain that affects speech and motor function, very crucial aspects so they have to be very careful.
Kennedy had the risky six-hour surgery for his cancerous brain tumor, and faces chemotherapy and radiation treatment following the procedure.
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