Ted Kennedy’s doctors have revealed that the senator has a malignant brain tumor. They are conducting further tests to determine the exact type of glioma before deciding on a course of treatment. Kennedy was taken to the hospital after suffering a seizure on Saturday.

ABC News:

The usual course of treatment includes combinations of radiation and chemotherapy, but Kennedy’s treatment will be decided after more tests.

Malignant gliomas are a type of brain cancer diagnosed in about 9,000 Americans a year — and the most common type among adults. It’s a starting diagnosis: How well patients fare depends on what specific tumor type is determined by further testing.

Average survival can range from less than a year for very advanced and aggressive types — such as glioblastomas — or to about five years for different types that are slower growing.

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