My 26 year old niece had this type of tumor. She lived two years after diagnosis.

I am so sorry, Senator Kennedy has been a true friend of the poor and the elderly. May he find true peace for his remaining years.

Senator Kennedy has fought for health care, to raise the minimum wage, to welcome immigrants, for same-sex marriage, against the right-wing packing of the Federal judiciary, and much more. I hope he can continue to serve, although that may be unlikely. He has served us well.

Some unusual personal predilections aside, you've been a torch of constancy for liberals and progressives throughout the post-Nixon Right-Winging of America. It has seemed at times that you were literally the only politician making any sense at all, whether it was the selling of the Iraq War or shutting down Bork's nomination. Here's to your best and a hope for many years of enlightened leadership to come.

he can. Go Ted!

The lion in winter is still a lion.

I'm so proud to have him as my Senator. He's not replaceable.

In the midst of the silly season's posturing and pontificating, this news brings tears to my eyes.

and prayers for the Senator and his family. I nearly cried when I read this. However, I'll keep my thoughts positive.

Kennedy could have contented himself with a job for life, secure in his name and the unassailability of his Democratic bastion of a home state, coasting along on constituent services and uncontroversial pork.

Instead he made himself a scourge on the right-wing establishment, actually using his secure seat and plentiful political capital to counter its agenda and improve the lives of people whom it considers dispensable.

It would be tempting to wish that his devotion to public service might inspire another generation in his wake, except that it already has.

until it's over, hang in there Senator! You have many many well wishers.

Ted Kennedy walks-the-walk. Condolences.

Does the Gov appoint one or is there a special election?

Bless you, O Lion. Never give up.

There's no need to wish Kennedy's tumor on another politician. You have to know that's the one comment that will be come a story on Fox News. Let's just concern ourselves with the honors due to Kennedy. He's one of the few politicians who can accept his high-level medical care with a clean conscience for having tried to get it for the rest of us.

Both. Gov. Patrick (D) would put in a temporary replacement until a special election were held.

This is not a good revelation. My grandfather had the same type of seizure as well and he lived about 6 months after that, following surgery. He was also very livid and outgoing for about 5 months of that time too. So this sounds very familiar to me :

I hope he can beat this. He's a great senator and a fighter.

It's a shame. He's a good man and a great Senator.

I had a mother-in-law who died of this sort of thing...NOT a nice way to go!!!

I haven't always agreed with his stances, but I prays for him and his family.

My heart is very heavy after hearing this news. I know that he will receive the best care and treatment available. Wishing the very best to Senator Kennedy and his family.

My good friend, Paula Demasi, who for more than ten years has worked at MD Anderson in the oncology department in neurosurgery has this to say:

"[S]ounds like he has a left parietal GBM-grim prognosis.

most folks make it about 18 months ,that is WITH

chemotherapy and XRT .He is the right age .the tumor

is on the dominant side- left,not a good thing

too damned bad- I liked him.

Dr Hassenbush made it further than most- but even he

didn't hit the 5 year mark.

the only good thing about all this is the media

attention to a grim disease may result in more

research and funding. He can do for GBMs what Rock

Hudson did for AIDS."

People may joke about the irony that his liver outlived his brain, but she is right. Cancer, despite a century of facing it , is still relatively new, and maybe this will accelerate more research.

May the dear Senator live long enough to see the end of the scourge of the Republican party on our country. Of course, that would bring him into his mid-nineties.... but I hope for his full recovery.

I really do.

However, the entire episode has been very frustrating for me. As someone with epilepsy, this and the episode with Chief Justice John Roberts are just amazing to me.

I'm glad Sen. Kennedy was diagnosed quickly. However, the articles in the paper that pretend that he was given the kind of medical care that would be available to even those of us who have what is considered good insurance coverage are just ridiculous. Same with the Chief Justice.

I have what would be considered very good medical coverage. If I were to have a seizure for the first time I would be taken to the emergency room, observed for about 3 hours and then told to go home, with a recommendation to see a neurologist and told I couldn't drive. For how long would depend on the state. The claims that I would be given all the tests that he was given - all that follow-up - are completely ridiculous and yet they are made in the news articles. And, if I didn't have insurance, you can bet I wouldn't be seeing a neurologist if I couldn't afford the office visit. I'd be out of luck.

I spend time over at the site of the Epilepsy Foundation trying to give advice to people who have no insurance and are desperate. I can tell you that this and the John Roberts incident makes them feel deserted by this country - completely deserted. I'm lucky. My condition is completely controlled by medication (and I only have to take one) that has a minimum of side effects (and the one side effect is actually a relatively useful one). And, my medical insurance is good. But I still look at this and know the coverage has been awful and paints a completely unrealistic picture of what is available to the average citizen.