(Nbc news) Former President Jimmy Carter says he has melanoma that’s been found in both his liver and brain.
“I just thought I had a few weeks left, but I was surprisingly at ease,” Carter said when speaking about his diagnosis Thursday.
He’ll receive two forms of therapy. One is a relatively new drug called “Keytruda.” It does not attack the body like chemotherapy does, but instead helps the immune system fight the cancer.
“Cancer has a way of masking itself from our immune system. This drug is designed to unmask it,” explains Dr. Wally Curran of Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute.
Carter will also undergo radiation precisely targeted to four cancerous spots on his brain, spots that are smaller than the tip of a ballpoint pen.
He will also dramatically cut back on his work at the Carter Center. His grandson, Jason, will take over as chairman of the board this fall.
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