The short answer
Senator Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, a glioblastoma, in May 2008 after a seizure. He had surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy and kept working when he could. He died on August 25, 2009, at age 77, about 15 months after his diagnosis.
Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in May 2008, after a seizure.
The tumor was a glioblastoma, the most aggressive common form of adult brain cancer.
He was treated with surgery at Duke University, followed by radiation and chemotherapy.
He continued some Senate work during his illness and remained a public figure.
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The full explanation.
Who he was
Edward "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts for nearly half a century and one of the most influential legislators of his era, especially on health care. A member of the storied Kennedy family, he was a fixture of American public life. In 2008, at age 76, he became a patient in the very system he had spent decades trying to improve, when a seizure revealed an aggressive brain cancer.
The diagnosis
On May 17, 2008, Kennedy suffered a seizure at the family compound in Massachusetts and was rushed to the hospital. Within days, doctors announced that he had a malignant glioma — a cancerous brain tumor — in the parietal lobe of his brain, confirmed by biopsy. The tumor was later widely described as a glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive primary brain cancer in adults.
A sudden seizure in an adult who has never had one can be an early sign of a brain tumor, and that is exactly how Kennedy's cancer first made itself known.
The story
Kennedy pursued aggressive treatment. In June 2008 he underwent surgery at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina to remove as much of the tumor as could be safely taken out, followed by radiation and chemotherapy — the standard combination for glioblastoma. When his health allowed, he stayed engaged in public life, including a memorable appearance at the 2008 Democratic National Convention and continued involvement in the health care debate he cared so deeply about.
Despite treatment, the disease progressed. Kennedy died on August 25, 2009, at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, at age 77 — about 15 months after his diagnosis. Years later, his friend and colleague John McCain would die of the same cancer, on the same date.
What his story teaches
Ted Kennedy's story is an introduction to brain tumors and, in particular, to glioblastoma. His seizure is a reminder that brain tumor symptoms can be dramatic and sudden — a new seizure, worsening headaches, vision or speech changes, or weakness — or can build gradually, depending on where the tumor grows. Any new seizure in an adult is a reason to seek prompt medical care.
His treatment reflects the standard approach to these cancers. Doctors first determine the tumor's type and grade — you can read more about how brain tumors are graded and diagnosed — and then typically combine surgery with radiation and chemotherapy, as described in brain tumor treatment. That approach can extend life and ease symptoms, but glioblastoma remains very hard to cure. Kennedy's decision to keep contributing to public life during treatment, on the issues he cared about most, is a reminder that a serious diagnosis does not have to erase a person's sense of purpose.
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The bottom line
Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor in May 2008 after a seizure, treated it with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, and lived about 15 months, dying in 2009 at age 77. His story is a plain-language lesson in glioblastoma — how a seizure can be its first sign, how it is treated, and why it remains so difficult to beat.
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Common questions
▸What kind of cancer did Ted Kennedy have?
He had a malignant glioma of the brain, later widely described as a glioblastoma — the most common and most aggressive primary brain cancer in adults. It was diagnosed in May 2008 after he suffered a seizure.
▸How was his cancer found?
In May 2008, Kennedy had a seizure and was hospitalized. Tests, including a biopsy, revealed a malignant tumor in the parietal lobe of his brain. A new seizure is one way brain tumors can first announce themselves.
▸How was he treated?
He underwent surgery at Duke University Medical Center in June 2008 to remove as much of the tumor as safely possible, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. This surgery-plus-radiation-and-chemo approach is the standard treatment for glioblastoma.
▸How long did he live after diagnosis?
About 15 months. He was diagnosed in May 2008 and died on August 25, 2009, at age 77. Survival with glioblastoma varies from person to person, but it remains a very difficult cancer to cure.
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