McCain tweets ‘I’ll be back’ to Senate after brain cancer diagnosis

PHOENIX — U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) announced Wednesday that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer, but one day later he had a message for his colleagues: “I’ll be back.”

In a tweet, McCain tweeted that he planned to return to work in Washington, D.C. despite having an aggressive form of brain cancer.

I greatly appreciate the outpouring of support – unfortunately for my sparring partners in Congress, I'll be back soon, so stand-by!

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) July 20, 2017

Prior to the tweet, it was unknown if the longtime senator had planned to return to work. He was recovering in Arizona.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said his counterpart would likely be unhappy doing anything but returning to work.

“I don’t think he’ll be happy unless he’s in the thick of things,” Flake told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Thursday. “That’s who he is.”

McCain, 80, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of cancer that begins in the brain. Both the late Sen. Ted Kennedy and Beau Biden, the late son of former Vice President Joe Biden, were diagnosed with the same cancer.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said his closest ally in the Senate sounded strong when the pair spoke on the phone after the surgery.

“He wants to come back so bad he can’t stand it,” Graham said. “I think they won’t let him fly for a week. But I think he would walk back if they would let him.”

The typical survival period after a diagnosis is 12 to 15 months, though a small percentage live longer than five years.

“The senator’s doctors say he is recovering from his surgery ‘amazingly well’ and his underlying health is excellent,” a statement from the hospital released by the senator’s office said.

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