Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg attends the Women’s Conference Lunch Session in Long Beach, California, October 26, 2010.
Mario Anzuoni | Reuters
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said in a statement Friday that she is being treated for liver cancer but is still able to work “at full steam.”
The 87-year-old woman said she started a course of chemotherapy in May to treat a recurrence of cancer after a February scan revealed liver damage.
“The immunotherapy tried for the first time was not successful. However, the course of chemotherapy is giving positive results. Satisfied that my course of treatment is now clear, I am providing this information,” Ginsburg said in the statement.
Ginsburg, a liberal, is the highest judge on the court. His health has become a matter of public concern because a vacancy on the nine-judge panel could allow President Donald Trump to nominate a conservative replacement. The court currently has a majority of 5-4 Republican-appointed judges.
Ginsburg said his most recent scan was done on July 7 and showed “a significant reduction in liver damage and no new disease.”
“I am tolerating chemotherapy well and am encouraged by the success of my current treatment. I will continue biweekly chemotherapy to keep my cancer at bay and be able to maintain an active daily routine,” said Ginsburg.
She added: “At all times, I have kept up to date with the drafting of opinions and all the work of the Court. I have often said that I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job at full speed. to do it. “
Ginsburg has struggled with a number of health problems, including multiple cancer scares in recent years. On Wednesday, she was discharged from the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore after being admitted the previous day with a possible infection. A court spokesman said Wednesday he was “home and well.”
In May, Ginsburg resorted to court arguments about Trump’s rules that extend exemptions to the hospital’s Low-Cost Health Care Act contraceptive mandate after being treated for a benign gallbladder condition. The arguments were held over the phone as a precaution against the spread of Covid-19.
Ginsburg said those hospitalizations were not “related” to the recent recurrence of cancer.
The court will hear the arguments in October.
The full Ginsburg statement is below.
“On May 19, I started a course of chemotherapy (gemcitabine) to treat cancer recurrence. A periodic scan in February followed by a biopsy revealed lesions in my liver. My recent hospitalizations to remove gallstones and treat an infection were unrelated with This recurrence.
The immunotherapy tried for the first time was not successful. The chemotherapy course, however, is giving positive results. Satisfied that my course of treatment is now clear, I am providing this information.
My most recent scan on July 7 indicated a significant reduction in liver damage and no new disease. I am tolerating chemotherapy well and am encouraged by the success of my current treatment. I will continue biweekly chemotherapy to keep my cancer at bay and be able to maintain an active daily routine. During all this time, I have kept up to date with opinion writing and all other Court work.
I have often said that I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can get the job done at full speed. I’m still able to do that. “
Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s name.
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