Arizona Senator John McCain has been diagnosed with a brain tumour after doctors removed a blood clot above his left eye last week.
The 80-year-old Republican has glioblastoma, an aggressive cancer, doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix said.
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Republican Senator John McCain diagnosed with brain cancer
US Republican Senator John McCain has been diagnosed with a brain tumour following surgery to remove a blood clot.
"On Friday, July 14, Senator John McCain underwent a procedure to remove a blood clot from above his left eye at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix," his office said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Subsequent tissue pathology revealed that a primary brain tumour known as a glioblastoma was associated with the blood clot."
In a statement, the hospital said: "The Senator and his family are reviewing further treatment options with his Mayo Clinic care team.
"Treatment options may include a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.
"The Senator's doctors say he is recovering from his surgery 'amazingly well' and his underlying health is excellent."
His absence forced Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to delay action on healthcare legislation.
![Republican Senator John McCain has been diagnosed with a brain tumour.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170723063002im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/c/k/e/y/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxeuqz.png/1500563620607.jpg)
McConnell issued a statement on Wednesday, saying: "John McCain is a hero to our Conference and a hero to our country.
"He has never shied from a fight and I know that he will face this challenge with the same extraordinary courage that has characterised his life.
"The entire Senate family's prayers are with John, Cindy and his family, his staff, and the people of Arizona he represents so well.
"We all look forward to seeing this American hero again soon."
McCain's office announced on Saturday that he would be away from the Senate the whole of this week.
McCain, a prisoner of war in Vietnam and a two-time presidential candidate, is known for his unfiltered opinions and willingness to buck Republican party orthodoxy.
Along with Senator Lindsey Graham, perhaps his closest friend in the Senate, McCain has become one of the leading Republican critics of President Trump, particularly on issues of foreign policy and national security.
Statement regarding my father @SenJohnMcCain: pic.twitter.com/SMte9Hkwkq
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) July 20, 2017
In a written statement she posted on Twitter, McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain, said the news of her father's illness has "affected every one of us in the McCain family." She said they live with "anxiety about what comes next," which they have endured before. McCain has a history of melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer.
She added, "it won't surprise you to learn that in all this, the one of us who is most confident and calm is my father. He is the toughest person I know. The cruelest enemy could not break him."
US politicians from across the political spectrum were quick to praise McCain and wish him well.
John McCain is as tough as they come. Thinking of John, Cindy, their wonderful children, & their whole family tonight.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 20, 2017
President Donald Trump issued a statement saying he and first lady Melania Trump are sending "our thoughts and prayers to Senator McCain, Cindy, and their entire family."
Barack Obama tweeted:
John McCain is an American hero & one of the bravest fighters I've ever known. Cancer doesn't know what it's up against. Give it hell, John.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 20, 2017
AP, Washington Post