WASHINGTON – Chief Justice William Rehnquist revealed Monday that he is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment for thyroid cancer, signs he has a grave form of the disease and probably will not return to the bench soon.
Rehnquist, 80, had planned to join his colleagues when they returned to hear arguments Monday after a two-week break.
In a statement issued Monday, the chief justice did not disclose what type of thyroid cancer he has, how far it has progressed or the prognosis.
Dr. Ann Gillenwater of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston said the combination of chemotherapy and radiation is the usual treatment for anaplastic thyroid cancer, a fast-growing form that can kill quickly.
About 80 percent of people with that type of cancer die within a year, even with treatment, according to the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy.
“Unfortunately, it rarely responds very well, and this is just a holding action for most patients,” said Dr. Herman Kattlove of the American Cancer Society.
In his absence Monday, Justice John Paul Stevens, 84, presided over the court. The court’s oldest member said Rehnquist could still vote in cases being argued this week, after reviewing transcripts and briefs.
Should Rehnquist be too sick to participate in cases, the other eight justices would act without him. Tie votes would uphold the lower court’s decision.
Supreme Court
In developments at the Supreme Court on Monday, the justices:
* Agreed to decide whether local governments can be sued for failing to enforce restraining orders, using the case of a Colorado woman whose three daughters were killed by their father.
* Turned down a bid by assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian to win freedom after five years in prison.
* Said they would schedule arguments soon in a dispute between Alaska and the federal government over ownership of submerged lands in the Glacier Bay area.
* Let stand the conviction of a Virginia man, Kevin Kelly, in the death of his 21-month-old daughter in a sweltering van.
* Refused to hear an appeal from a drug manufacturer that sought to limit evidence that fen-phen users want to present in their lawsuits claiming heart valve damage.
* Declined to consider a new trial for a woman found guilty of driving under the influence of marijuana in the deaths of six teenagers on a southern Nevada road crew.
Supreme Court
In developments at the Supreme Court on Monday, the justices:
* Agreed to decide whether local governments can be sued for failing to enforce restraining orders, using the case of a Colorado mother whose three daughters were killed by their father.
* Turned down a bid by assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian to win freedom after five years in prison.
* Said they would schedule arguments soon in a dispute between Alaska and the federal government over ownership of submerged lands in the Glacier Bay area.
* Let stand the conviction of a Virginia man, Kevin C. Kelly, in the death of his 21-month-old daughter in a sweltering van.
* Refused to hear an appeal from a drug manufacturer that sought to limit evidence that fen-phen users want to present in their lawsuits claiming heart valve damage.
* Declined to consider a new trial for a woman found guilty of driving under the influence of marijuana in the deaths of six teenagers on a southern Nevada road crew.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
