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US Supreme Court's Ginsburg being treated for cancer

July 17, 2020

The 87-year-old liberal Supreme Court justice has announced that her cancer has returned. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg will remain a justice as she is still "fully able" to work.

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Image: Getty Images/S. Silbiger

US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg announced Friday that he is undergoing chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer but will remain on the country's highest bench.

Ginsburg, 87, is one of the four liberal judges on the nine-member court. A February biopsy showed she had lesions on her liver.

"I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam," she said in a statement. "I remain fully able to do that."

She confirmed that immunotherapy had proved unsuccessful but chemotherapy was "yielding positive results."

"My most recent scan on July 7 indicated significant reduction of the liver lesions and no new disease," Ginsburg said.

She said she was "tolerating chemotherapy well," and added that a brief hospital visit this week had not been related to her treatment.

Asked Tuesday at a White House press conference about Ginsburg's health, US President Trump said "I wish her the best."

"She's actually given me some good rulings," he added.

Rumors about Ginsburg's health have been swirling for months. Liberals are afraid that she could stand down soon, allowing Trump to appoint a conservative judge to replace her. This would give conservative judges a commanding majority. Justices on the US Supreme Court have lifetime tenure, meaning they serve until they resign, retire or die.

ed/sms (AP, AFP)