Sen. John McCain: Doctors gave me 'poor prognosis' on cancer fight
Sen. John McCain gave new insight into his grim struggle with an aggressive form of brain cancer in an interview on CBS's 60 Minutes.
Sen. John McCain: Doctors gave me 'poor prognosis' on cancer fight Sen. John McCain gave new insight into his grim struggle with an aggressive form of brain cancer in an interview on CBS's 60 Minutes. Check out this story on IndyStar.com: https://usat.ly/2ymVnFY
Dan Nowicki, The Republic | azcentral.com Published 10:43 p.m. ET Sept. 24, 2017 | Updated 8:51 a.m. ET Sept. 25, 2017
Doctors diagnosed Senator John McCain with a glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor that can be difficult to treat. USA TODAY
Sen. John McCain(Photo: AP)
PHOENIX — Sen. John McCain gave new insight into his grim struggle with an aggressive form of brain cancer in an interview that aired Sunday on CBS's 60 Minutes.
"They said that it's very serious, that the prognosis is very, very serious," the 81-year-old McCain, R-Ariz., said during the segment titled "The Fighter."
"Some say 3%, some say 14%. You know, it's a very poor prognosis," he continued. "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."
McCain, a former naval aviator who was shot down over North Vietnam in 1967 and held as a prisoner of war until 1973, also revealed that he wants his memorial service held at his alma mater in Annapolis, Md.
"I want, when I leave, that the ceremony is at the Naval Academy," he said. "And we just have a couple of people that stand up and say, 'This guy, he served his country.'"
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McCain on July 14 underwent an emergency craniotomy to address a blood clot that was later revealed to be associated with glioblastoma, a deadly kind of brain cancer.
He returned to Capitol Hill after Labor Day and is keeping his regular Senate work schedule as he continues chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
"I am more energetic, and more engaged, as a result of this because I know that I've got to do everything I can to serve this country while I can," said McCain, the chairman of the influential Senate Armed Services Committee and the 2008 Republican presidential nominee.
Sen. John McCain returns to Washington
After being diagnosed with brain cancer, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., July 25, 2017, as the Senate was to vote on health-care legislation. Associated Press
After being diagnosed with brain cancer, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 25, 2017, as the Senate was to vote on health-care legislation. Andrew Harnik/Associated Press
Cindy McCain, wife of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., center, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 25, 2017, as Sen. McCain returned to Capitol Hill to vote on health-care legislation. Andrew Harnik/Associated Press
In this image from video, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. is embraced by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer of N.Y. as he arrives on the floor of the Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 25, 2017. C-SPAN2/Associated Press
In this image from video, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. is applauded as he arrives on the floor of the Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 25, 2017. C-SPAN2/Associated Press
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, followed by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., center, and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., greets Cindy McCain, wife of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 25, 2017, as Sen. McCain returned to Capitol Hill to vote in the health bill. Andrew Harnik/Associated Press
In this image from video provided by Senate Television, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. speaks to the floor of the Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 25, 2017. McCain returned to Congress for the first time since being diagnosed with brain cancer. Associated Press
Since the diagnosis, McCain on July 28 voted to kill the GOP's "skinny repeal" legislation, part of Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare." On Friday, McCain announced that he also intends to vote against the latest GOP health-care bill authored by Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.
The votes have put further strain on his already notoriously bad relationship with President Trump, who has made undoing Obamacare a top priority.
In the TV interview, McCain said that Trump still has never apologized to him for ridiculing in 2015 McCain's P.O.W. experience. But McCain said he has moved on and that none of his votes are intended to get back at Trump for the insult.
McCain added that he'd be happy to have a conversation with Trump but acknowledged that they each had a "different upbringing" and "different life experiences."
"I want, when I leave, that the ceremony is at the Naval Academy. And we just have a couple of people that stand up and say, 'This guy, he served his country.'"
Sen. John McCain
McCain's father and grandfather were U.S. Navy admirals.
"He is in the business of making money and he has been successful both on television as well as Miss America and others," McCain said of Trump. "I was raised in a military family. I was raised in the concept and belief that duty, honor, country is the lodestar for the behavior that we have to exhibit every single day."
McCain also detailed to 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl how his doctors informed him of the life-threatening health issue, which was discovered during a routine health exam.
It was a Friday, and McCain was about two-thirds of the way to his cabin near Sedona when he got a call from his doctor saying he had to turn around and come back for the surgery.
"And I said, 'Hey, today is Friday. I'll just come in on Monday.' And she said, 'No, you have to come now. It's very serious,'" McCain recalled.
McCain also suggested that his doctors initially danced around the diagnosis.
"I kept saying to them, 'Tell it to me straight,'" he said. "... I said, 'I can take it. Just tell me.'"
McCain was asked whether he has felt "panic" since the diagnosis. He said he had not.
"I have feelings, sometimes of fear, of what happens," McCain said. "But as soon as I get that, I say, 'Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You've been around a long time, old man. You've had a great life. You've had a great experience.'"
Follow Dan Nowicki on Twitter: @dannowicki
Photos: John McCain through the years
Sen. John McCain poses at the Republic Media building in downtown Phoenix on Thursday, August 3, 2017. Tom Tingle/The Republic
U.S. Sen. John McCain at his office in Phoenix on Monday, April 6, 2015. Michael Schennum/The Republic
This is an undated file photo of Sen. John McCain, lying injured as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. It was among 4,000 photos and documents given to a U.S. delegation by Hanoi. McCain was a U.S. Navy pilot downed in Vietnam in 1967. Associated Press
John McCain is escorted by Lt. Cmdr. Jay Coupe Jr., public relations officer, March 14, 1973, to Hanoi's Gia Lam Airport after the POW was released. Associated Press
Lt. Cmdr. John McCain, a POW for over five years, waves to well-wishers on March 18, 1973, after arriving at Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Florida. Associated Press
Then-U.S. Navy Commander John McCain, a guest of the South Vietnamese government, visits an orphanage that cares for youngsters fathered by American G.I.s in Saigon, Vietnam, on Oct. 30, 1974. McCain, a son of the admiral who commanded U.S. forces in the Pacific at the height of the Vietnam War, was shot down over Hanoi and spent several years as a POW. Associated Press
Then-U.S. Navy Commander John McCain, a guest of the South Vietnamese government, visits the Holt orphanage in Saigon, Vietnam, on Oct. 30, 1974. The institution cares for many youngsters fathered by American G.I.s. McCain, son of the admiral who commanded U.S. forces in the Pacific at the height of the Vietnam War, was shot down over Hanoi and spent several years as a POW. Associated Press
U.S. Rep. John McCain holds a photo of a marker in Hanoi, Vietnam, at Truc Bach Lake where he parachuted after being shot down as a Navy pilot in the Vietnam War. McCain, who was a POW for 5½ years in Hanoi, was in Bangkok, Thailand, on Feb. 18, 1985, en route to Hanoi to visit this site. Associated Press
John McCain speaks to an audience in Encanto Park in Phoenix on Oct. 18, 1986. Larry Woodall/The Republic
As John McCain looks on (left), Vice President George H. W. Bush is greeted by Evan Mecham during a visit to Phoenix in October 1986. The Republic
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., center right, huddles with Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., to discuss strategy at the conclusion of the daily members meeting in the Mansfield room near the Senate floor in Washington on March 26, 2001. Associated Press
Sen. John McCain addresses the media at Swift Aviation at Sky Harbor International Airport on May 5, 2008. Tom Tingle/The Republic
Sen. John McCain and President George Bush shake hands at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at the end of the president's brief visit to the Valley on May 27, 2008. Jack Kurtz/The Republic
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., smiles as he appears with former first lady Nancy Reagan Tuesday, March 25, 2008, in Bel Air, Calif. Reagan endorsed McCain for president as the Arizona senator continued to collect the backing of leading Republicans who might help him win over critical conservative voters. Mary Altaffer/Associated Press
Republican presidential nominee U.S. Sen. John McCain concedes victory on stage during the election night rally at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa on Nov. 4, 2008, in Phoenix. Getty Images
Republican presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, bask in the celebration at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul on Sept. 4, 2008. Charlie Nye/The Indianapolis Star
Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (R) (D-Ill.) and Republican presidential candidate U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) shake hands after the first of three presidential debates before the 2008 election on Sept. 26, 2008. Win McNamee/Getty Images
Then-President-elect Barack Obama applauds Arizona Sen. John McCain, the former Republican presidential candidate, during a bipartisan dinner in McCain's honor on Jan. 19, 2009, in Washington, D.C., on the night before Obama's inauguration as 44th U.S. president. AFP/Getty Images
Arizona Sen. John McCain talks with host David Letterman in this 2008 Late Show appearance. CBS via Associated Press
Sen. John McCain and former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin make a campaign appearance on March 26, 2010, at the Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson, Arizona. Rob Schumacher/The Republic
Sen. John McCain gets his own apron after talking to employees at the Home Depot Rapid Deployment Center in Tolleson, to campaign and tour the new facility on July 30, 2010. Deirdre Hamill/The Republic
Sen. John McCain and wife Cindy cast their ballots at Madison Camelview Elementary School in Phoenix on Aug. 24, 2010. Deirdre Hamill/The Republic
U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and his wife, Cindy McCain celebrates his win in the GOP primary race, on Aug. 24, 2010, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix. Sen. McCain defeated former Rep. J.D. Hayworth. Rob Schumacher/The Republic
U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) speaks as Sen. Joseph Lieberman (ID-Conn.) (center) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) (left) listen during a news conference about the crisis in Syria on May 11, 2011, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Alex Wong/Getty Images
Former presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) (R) announced that he is endorsing Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney during a town hall meeting at Central High School January 4, 2012, in Manchester, New Hampshire. Getty Images
Sen. John McCain celebrates a goal by the Phoenix Coyotes as they host the Nashville Predators in the first period of Game 2 of the second round playoff series Sunday, April 29, 2012, in Glendale. David Kadlubowski/The Republic
Senator John McCain speaks during a gathering of supporters for presidential candidate Mitt Romney Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency in Phoenix. David Kadlubowski/The Republic
Sen. John McCain holds a town hall with West Valley residents at Peoria City Hall, on Aug. 23, 2012. Tom Tingle/The Republic
From left, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. sit on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013, before President Barack Obama's State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress. Associated Press
Sen. John McCain speaks with those gathered at a town hall meeting at the Goelet A.C. Beuf Community Center in Phoenix on March 24, 2013. Patrick Breen/The Republic
Sen. John McCain visits U.S. troops at a missile site in Turkey on May 27, 2013. McCain quietly slipped into Syria for a meeting with rebels. Associated Press
Jack (from left), Renee, Cindy and John McCain are pictured at Jack and Renee's weekend wedding in San Francisco in summer 2013. Crisman Studios
Sen. John McCain laughs during an exchange with Secretary of State John F. Kerry. The two spoke during a 2013 U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing about the authorization of use of force in Syria. Jack Gruber/USA TODAY
Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake address members of the media at McCain's Phoenix office on May 28, 2014, following the release of a report stating by the Veterans Affairs that at least 1,700 veterans at the medical center were not registered on the proper waiting list, putting them at risk in the convoluted scheduling process. Charlie Leight/The Republic
Sen. John McCain hugs Mitt Romney during a rally for John McCain's re-election campaign at Dobson High School on Dec. 12, 2015, in Mesa. Patrick Breen/The Republic
Sen. John McCain with his wife Cindy gives a victory speech to his supporters during his campaign party at Heard Museum, Steele Auditorium in Phoenix on Nov. 8, 2016. Nick Oza/The Republic
U.S. Sen. John McCain reacts at The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University on Aug. 15, 2016. Charlie Kaijo/The Republic
Sen. John McCain greets supporters after winning his sixth Senate term during his campaign party at the Heard Museum in Phoenix on Nov. 8. Sen. John McCain greets supporters after winning sixth Senate term during his campaign party at the Heard Museum in Phoenix on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016. Nick Oza/The Republic
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. walk on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 13, 2017, for a meeting on the revised Republican health-care bill which has been under attack from within the party. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press
Sen. John McCain listens to former FBI director James Comey at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing. FBI director James Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee as part of its investigation into Russia's interference in last year's presidential election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials on June 8, 2017, in Washington. Henry Taylor/USA TODAY
Sen. John McCain receives the Liberty Medal from Chair of the National Constitution Center's Board of Trustees, former Vice President Joe Biden, in Philadelphia on Oct. 16, 2017. The honor is given annually to an individual who displays courage and conviction while striving to secure liberty for people worldwide Matt Rourke/Associated Press
Sen. John McCain and his daughter, Meghan McCain, sitting outside the family's cabin in Sedona in February 2018. Special for The Republic
Sen. John McCain and his daughter, Meghan, in an undated photo posted to Instagram on March 18, 2018. Meghan McCain/Special for The Republic
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