Ruth Bader Ginsburg Reveals ‘Recurrence of Cancer’ After Being Hospitalized

The Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg has revealed that her cancer has returned & she's receiving chemotherapy following her hospitalization on Monday.

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July 17, 2020 1:05PM EDT
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FILE - In this July 31, 2014, file photo, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her Supreme Court chambers in Washington. In different circumstances, Ginsburg might be on a valedictory tour in her final months on the Supreme Court. But in the era of Donald Trump, the 84-year-old Ginsburg is packing her schedule and sending signals she intends to keep her seat on the bench for years. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
In this Sept. 20, 2017 photo, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg reacts to applause as she is introduced by William Treanor, Dean and Executive Vice President of Georgetown University Law Center, at the Georgetown University Law Center campus in Washington. During a speech in September at Georgetown University’s law school the 84-year-old referred to herself as “Rapid Ruth” and to Justice Sonia Sotomayor as “Swift Sonia.” The Supreme Court on Wednesday handed down its first opinion in a case heard this term. And it was Ginsburg, the court’s oldest justice, who authored the unanimous opinion. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
FILE - In this June 1, 2017, file photo, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joins other justices of the U.S. Supreme Court for an official group portrait at the Supreme Court Building in Washington. In different circumstances, Ginsburg might be on a valedictory tour in her final months on the Supreme Court. But in the era of Donald Trump, the 84-year-old Ginsburg is packing her schedule and sending signals she intends to keep her seat on the bench for years. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Image Credit: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

After a brief hospitalization, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has revealed that her cancer has returned and she is undergoing treatment. A statement from the 87-year-old Justice explained that on May 19th she “began a course of chemotherapy (gemcitabine) to treat a recurrence of cancer. A periodic scan in February followed by a biopsy revealed lesions on my liver.” The reason behind RBG’s recent hospitalization on Monday, July 13th was due to an endoscopic procedure to remove “gall stones and treat an infection,” unrelated to her cancer diagnosis.

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks during a discussion on the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

 

Her statement continued, “Immunotherapy first essayed proved unsuccessful. The chemotherapy course, however, is yielding positive results. Satisfied that my treatment course is now clear, I am providing this information.”

The Justice revealed that her latest scan on July 7th saw the reduction of the liver lesions and no new disease. She is continuing bi-weekly chemotherapy treatments and promised she is keeping active and still working! She concluded her statement, saying, “I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam. I remain fully able to do that.”

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was released from the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on Wednesday, July 15, a day after she was admitted there for a possible infection, the court’s spokeswoman, Kathleen Arberg, said in a statement. There, she underwent an endoscopic procedure to clean out a bile duct stent, which was put in last August while Justice Ginsburg was receiving treatment for a malignant tumor on her pancreas, which included focused radiation therapy.

RBG is the most senior member of the US Supreme Court and one of four liberal judges remaining on the bench. Since taking office, Donald Trump has nominated two conservative justices to the nine-member court, Neil Gorsuch after the death of Antonin Scalia, and Brett Kavanaugh to replace Anthony M. Kennedy, who was the court’s longtime swing vote.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg listens to speakers during the inaugural Herma Hill Kay Memorial Lecture at the University of California at Berkeley, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Berkeley, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Most recently, Justice Ginsburg was essential in striking down the a Louisiana law that attempted to limit abortion rights. She also helped delivered a major blow to Trump, voting with the majority in a ruling decided the president did not have the authority to block the release of his financial records.

We wish her a speedy recovery!