HOENIX - Tests have found no evidence that John McCain's skin cancer has spread, and the Arizona senator said yesterday that he's confident he will win his second battle with the disease.
A beaming McCain met with reporters outside his home wearing an Arizona Diamondbacks cap. His wife, Cindy, brought a basket filled with sunscreen.
''I've been in a number of fights in my life; this is just another one, and I'm sure I will prevail,'' the former Vietnam POW and former GOP presidential candidate said.
McCain is scheduled to have surgery today to remove more skin around the spots of melanoma, which is the most serious form of skin cancer. Doctors also plan to test lymph nodes near the lesion on McCain's temple to determine if the cancer has spread.
The McCains met with doctors for about 31/2 hours yesterday at the Mayo Clinic in suburban Scottsdale to review the results of tests he took Thursday.
The tests did not find any signs of cancer in other areas of McCain's body, such as the lungs or liver, the doctors' statement said. Doctors say that's good news, meaning there's a much better chance that today's surgery will cure him. McCain had a similar lesion removed from his shoulder in 1993.
But some questions remain. The statement did not say how thick the cancer lesion on McCain's face was. That's one key to his prognosis, since thicker cancers are more likely to have spread through the bloodstream.
The tests on the lymph nodes near the melanoma also will help determine whether surgery will be the final treatment. If the lymph nodes are clear, then the outlook for a surgical cure is excellent.
McCain said he planned to spend tonight at the Mayo Clinic after the surgery and would board his ''Straight Talk Express'' bus for more campaigning by Labor Day. The senator had canceled about a dozen campaign events with GOP congressional candidates after learning of the diagnosis.
McCain said he had learned of the diagnosis Aug. 10, adding that he regretted the timing of the news leak Wednesday about his melanoma. He said he did not want to take attention away from Democrats and particularly vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman, a Senate friend and colleague.
Doctors found the melanoma after McCain left the Republican National Convention to have biopsies performed at Bethesda Naval Hospital, near Washington, D.C.
