BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Doctors for Republican Senator John McCain say that the lawmakers' prognosis appears to be good. McCain underwent five and a half hours of surgery Saturday to remove to cancerous growths on his skin. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has the details now from Phoenix.</s>ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After five and a half hours in the operating room, Senator John McCain's doctors declared his surgery a success, to the great relief of his family.</s>CINDY MCCAIN, WIFE OF SEN. MCCAIN: I have said many prayers this week, as you can well imagine, and I stand here before you right now to tell you that all of my prayers have been answered.</s>COHEN: The senator's personal physician, Dr. John Eckstein, said Mayo Clinic doctors believed they removed all the melanoma on two spots -- his left arm and his left temple. They also removed lymph nodes from his face and neck.</s>DR. JACK ECKTEIN, MCCAIN PHYSICIAN: We are pleased to let you know that the preliminary report on the lymph nodes, including the first draining lymph node, the so-called sentinel node, was clear, without any evidence of melanoma cells. However, it will take several days to fully evaluate the removed surgical tissue.</s>COHEN: If it turns out the lymph nodes were not affected, that greatly improves McCain's prognosis. According to a statement by the Mayo Clinic, the tumor in the temple was at least 2.2 millimeters thick. A scale widely used by dermatologist indicates that when patients have tumors of that thickness, 76 percent of them are still alive five years later. The Mayo Clinic's statement says it's too early to know if McCain will need further treatments. After surgery, melanoma patients are sometimes given chemotherapy, and/or immunotherapy, drugs that boost a patient's immune system to fight the cancer. (on camera): McCain had hoped to be back on the campaign trail for Republican candidates soon after Labor Day, but his doctors say that depends on his condition. Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Phoenix, Arizona.
Doctors for Senator McCain Say Prognosis Appears to Be Good