President Carter has remained vital in his senior years. I am pleased to see at least he was diagnosed. Hopefully, it is in time to make a difference in his outcome.
Mr Carter monitors an election in Panama in 1994
The 90-year-old statesman (click here) underwent surgery to remove a small mass in his liver earlier this month.
He said he would reveal more "when facts are known, possibly next week".
Mr Carter will undergo treatment by physicians at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta.
President Barack Obama wished Mr Carter "a full and fast recovery" in a statement released on Wednesday.
"Jimmy, you're as resilient as they come, and along with the rest of America, we are rooting for you," Mr Obama said.
The White House said Mr Obama spoke to Mr Carter on the telephone on Wednesday....
What is liver cancer? (click here)
Liver cancer is the growth and spread of unhealthy cells in the liver. Cancer that starts in the liver is called primary liver cancer. Cancer that spreads to the liver from another organ is called metastatic liver cancer.
About 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with primary liver cancer each year. Primary liver cancer is one of the cancers on the rise in the United States. Primary liver cancer is about twice as common in men than in women....
All these remedies might not be available to former President Carter because he is over 60 years old. Americans 60 years and old have limited answers for their disease opposed to those younger. It is age discrimination. The transplant option is usually unavailable for a 60 year old American.
...How is liver cancer treated?
Liver cancer treatment depends on:
- The liver's condition
- The size, location and number of tumors
- If the cancer has spread outside the liver
- The person's age and overall health
- Transplant If the cancer has not spread, for some patients a liver transplant (replacement of the liver) may be an option.
- Surgery If the cancer has been found early and the rest of the liver is healthy, doctors may perform surgery to remove the tumor from the liver (partial hepatectomy).
- Radiofrequency Ablation Radiofrequency ablation uses a special probe to destroy cancer cells with heat.
For cancer that has not spread outside the liver:
- Cryosurgery uses a metal probe to freeze and destroy cancer cells.
- Bland embolization or chemoembolization are procedures in which the blood supply to the tumor is blocked, after giving anticancer drugs (chemoembolization) and one without (bland embolization). Both are given in blood vessels near the tumor.
- Radiation therapy Radiation therapy uses radiation (high-energy x-rays) to destroy cancer cells.
- Sorafenib (Nexavar) is an oral medication FDA approved for use in advance cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (the most common type of primary liver cancer).
- Clinical trials may be an option for some patients
