May 21, 2008 4:30 pm US/Eastern
Cameras Spot Bandage As Kennedy Leaves Hospital
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
As Sen. Ted Kennedy left Mass. General on Wednesday, we caught a glimpse of a bandage covering the spot on the back of his head, which is likely where he underwent a biopsy.
What typically happens during a brain biopsy, is a neurosurgeon will use some sort of special imaging technique, like a CAT scan or MRI, to guide a needle into the site of the tumor to remove a small sample of the tissue.
That piece of tissue is then analyzed in a lab to confirm the diagnosis.
For the senator, the diagnosis was malignant glioma -- the most common type of primary brain tumor, meaning a tumor that begins in the brain and hasn't spread from some other part of the body.
His tumor is in the left parietal lobe, which is involved with sensation and language. About 9,000 people are diagnosed with malignant gliomas each year in the U.S. Most of those are older Americans and most of them are men.
This type of tumor usually doesn't spread outside of the brain or spinal cord, but it's still considered malignant or cancerous because it can grow very quickly.
Kennedy's prognosis really depends on the exact type of glioma that the senator has and we're still waiting for the final pathology.
Most gliomas end up being high-grade, which means they can be very aggressive and hard to treat.
Every patient is different, but generally speaking, worst case scenario, survival can be as little as six to twelve months, but some patients do survive up to five years and beyond.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
