Ted Kennedy has brain tumor

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Fox News just reported that Ted Kennedy has a malignant brain tumor! :(

He went into the hospital after having two seizures this weekend.

[Grace]

When they said originally that it was in fact a seizure, not a stroke, the first thought that popped in my head was brain tumor.

Long term survival is not good for brain tumors.

[Pam]

The Kennedy family has been dogged with troubles for decades. I wish him the best. He was not my favorite Kennedy. I could never get past the *Mary Jo Kopechne incident* but I do feel badly for him now.

[Karen]

When they said originally that it was in fact a seizure, not a stroke, the first thought that popped in my head was brain tumor.

Long term survival is not good for brain tumors.


That's not necessarily true. It very much depends on the kind of brain tumor. Sen. Kennedy is, right now, in the hospital where I had my brain tumor removed. In my case it was not malignant, but I have friends who had malignant brain tumors removed. Of the five of us that belonged at one time to my church, four are still alive, and the one who recently died lived to see his sons grow up, start their careers and got to know his two grandsons. When we first met, it was about 20 years ago, and he had just had his first brain tumor removed. So 20 years is long-term by most standards.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

The Kennedy family has been dogged with troubles for decades. I wish him the best. He was not my favorite Kennedy. I could never get past the *Mary Jo Kopechne incident* but I do feel badly for him now.

That's the way I feel too. He's the last of the Kennedy's that were around when I was growing up. Seems he has been a Senator for a long long time. I do wish him well.

Any tumor is frightening but brain tumors are even more so.

[Laura's Babies]

For those of you that remember Brandon, that was in that bad wreck about 3 years ago... He had a brain tumor when he was a child, they got it out and he went on with his life... It grew back and they cut it out again and so far has had no more problems with it...

[Grace]

For those of you that remember Brandon, that was in that bad wreck about 3 years ago... He had a brain tumor when he was a child, they got it out and he went on with his life... It grew back and they cut it out again and so far has had no more problems with it...

There are tumors, and then there are tumors. The particular type of cells determines the treatment.

For instance, the parietal area of the brain, where Kennedy's tumor is situated, governs the ability to speak and understand, movement on the right side of the body. One doctor describes it as high-risk real estate.

Surgery in this area can be tricky. A doctor on CNN just a bit ago said this -
"The problem with glioma is, when surgeons go in and try to work on this, it's nearly impossible to tell what is tumor and what is brain cells, because this is a tumor of the brain cells," she said. The result, sometimes, is that the surgery causes brain damage, Wright said.

My father died of a malignant brain tumor, back in 1945. He had 3 craniotomies over a period of 18 months. Each time the tumor grew back, because they were unable to get out all the tumor cells.

[smokey the elder]

I think that's why they want to do radiation and/or chemo, since they don't want to be digging around in his brain if the tumor isn't well-defined.

"Tumor" came to my mind as well when a person with no history of seizures up and had one.

[Grace]

That's not necessarily true. It very much depends on the kind of brain tumor. Sen. Kennedy is, right now, in the hospital where I had my brain tumor removed. In my case it was not malignant, but I have friends who had malignant brain tumors removed. Of the five of us that belonged at one time to my church, four are still alive, and the one who recently died lived to see his sons grow up, start their careers and got to know his two grandsons. When we first met, it was about 20 years ago, and he had just had his first brain tumor removed. So 20 years is long-term by most standards.


Karen, 20 years survival after surgery for a malignant brain tumor is a miracle!!

You are correct about the type of tumor - I addressed that in my response to Laura's Babies. Different cell types mean different treatment options and different outcomes. But overall, the prognosis for a malignancy in the brain is not good. Part of the problem is the location. Inside the brain, space is very limited, there is no place to spread out.

I'm curious, did you have a pituitary tumor?

[momoffuzzyfaces]

They said Sen Kennedy has been a senator since 1962. Gosh, I was only 11. No wonder it seems like he has been around a long time. That's 46 years. I didn't think he was that old. Or that people could serve in the Senate that long. :eek:

[lizbud]

They said Sen Kennedy has been a senator since 1962. Gosh, I was only 11. No wonder it seems like he has been around a long time. That's 46 years. I didn't think he was that old. Or that people could serve in the Senate that long. :eek:

As long as they are healthy & keep winning elections they can be in
pulbic service for many years. Just look at Sen. Byrd from West Virginia.

What a sad day for his family.:( I do hope he can be helped.

[Freedom]

Last I heard, his ETA to the next stage in life is a year, more or less. :(

[Lady's Human]

That's why they call the Senate the best nursing home in the US. Most of the senators are advanced in age, to put it mildly.

I have a co-worker recovering from a brain tumor. At first they didn't think he'd live to see NY again, now he's worrying about when he can get back to driving.

Chemo and radiation have come a long, long way.

[Karen]

Karen, 20 years survival after surgery for a malignant brain tumor is a miracle!!

You are correct about the type of tumor - I addressed that in my response to Laura's Babies. Different cell types mean different treatment options and different outcomes. But overall, the prognosis for a malignancy in the brain is not good. Part of the problem is the location. Inside the brain, space is very limited, there is no place to spread out.

I'm curious, did you have a pituitary tumor?

No, I had an acoustic neuroma, which is a tumor on the hearing nerve. That is why I am deaf of one side, but it was removed, so it would not keep growing slowly and eventually kill me.

But I had it removed right at Mass General, and at the time (12 years ago), there were only 8 places in the entire world that surgery could even be done. So Senator Kennedy is in the right place. My surgeon, Dr. Ojemann, has since retired, but I am sure others equally as kind and talented are still there.

They said on the news this evening the usual prognosis for a glioma is 1-5 years survival, but as has been noted, things are improving for cancer treatment all the time.

[Grace]

Mass General - the doctor on CNN this afternoon said Senator Kennedy was in the best hospital on the planet.

I know the reputation of it, having grown up in Rhode Island.


They said on the news this evening the usual prognosis for a glioma is 1-5 years survival, but as has been noted, things are improving for cancer treatment all the time.

That's true, but it is so much slower when the cancer is in the brain. As I mentioned above, my father died of a malignant brain tumor in 1945. He lived 18 months after diagnosis. The survival rate is really not significantly better now - 63 years later. I know there are exceptions, but overall the prognosis is terrible.

[Catty1]

A young woman here in Calgary underwent robotic brain surgery and it was successful. I know it depends on the type of tumour - but with MRI imaging and the precision of the the movements, I guess this bodes well for the future.

Surely if anyone has it, it's Mass General.


(If you want to see the story: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/05/16/robotic-surgery.html)

[Karen]

That's true, but it is so much slower when the cancer is in the brain. As I mentioned above, my father died of a malignant brain tumor in 1945. He lived 18 months after diagnosis. The survival rate is really not significantly better now - 63 years later. I know there are exceptions, but overall the prognosis is terrible.

Ah, but I know many people who were given a "death sentence" at the time, but live on ... and so I live on in hope, not just for Senator Kennedy, but for everyone facing a cancer diagnosis.

[Grace]

Ah, but I know many people who were given a "death sentence" at the time, but live on ... and so I live on in hope, not just for Senator Kennedy, but for everyone facing a cancer diagnosis.


I like your attitude. My comments come from working many years as a Neuro ICU nurse, where we did not see very many success stories.

[K9karen]

Except for Rose Kennedy, that family never gets a break for a peaceful end. It's always brutal and tragic. We'll hear more because he's in the public eye, but it's so heartbreaking and traumatic for anyone. So sad.

[RICHARD]

Not a political fan of his either, But I hope it's not as bad as it seems.

There is another type of radiation treatment that does not require surgery.

They locate the tumor and irradiate it in place. I'm not up on the names or the kind of rads they use....it's pretty new and it was looking promising!

[Freckles]

They locate the tumor and irradiate it in place.
Sounds like Gamma Knife Surgery. Worked for me!

[Catty1]

http://cfcn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/scfcn/CTVNews/20080520/kennedy_released_080521

Ted Kennedy being released from hospital

The Associated Press

Wed. May. 21 2008 9:34 AM ET

BOSTON — Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is being released from the hospital, one day after being diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour that experts say is almost certainly fatal.

Doctors said Wednesday the Massachusetts Democrat "has recovered remarkably quickly" from a biopsy conducted after he suffered a seizure last weekend at his home on Cape Cod.

The doctors say he will await further test results and treatment options while convalescing at his home over the Memorial Day weekend.

Kennedy has been treated at Massachusetts General Hospital for what doctors now say is a malignant glioma in his left parietal lobe. Malignant gliomas are diagnosed in about 9,000 Americans a year; in general, half of all patients die within a year.

[kelli1843]

My mother had acoustic neuroma; first was "removed" by Gamma knife at Pittsburg hospital. It came back several years later and was removed again (with Laser I think).

[moosmom]

That announcement on tv about his brain tumor sent chills down my spine and brought me back 16 years ago. I hope and pray that he has the strength and determination to beat it. My kid went through chemo and radiation and beat it. I know he can do it.

My prayers go to the Kennedy family and special prayers to Ted.

[lizbud]

When Kennedy was released from the hospital today, his family brought
along his two dogs to greet him.:) The pups looked very happy to see him.

The first thing he wanted to do when he got home was to go sailing. That
would be a great spot to contemplate your life.

[Grace]

When Kennedy was released from the hospital today, his family brought
along his two dogs to greet him.:) The pups looked very happy to see him.

The first thing he wanted to do when he got home was to go sailing. That
would be a great spot to contemplate your life.

I saw those dogs - think the commentator said they were Portuguese Water Dogs. And his sailboat is gorgeous!!

[RICHARD]

Gamma knife!

Thanks, the facility I worked at only did the craniotomies-getting into the skull to remove/fix a problem.

[Medusa]

A friend of mine was diagnosed w/a brain tumor 3 years ago and, looking back, the drs. told him that he probably had had it for the last 17 years. They based this on certain physical ailments that he had but overlooked. He had the surgery and they were able to remove 97% of it and, if it grows again, they'll do the surgery yet again, if possible. I feel for Ted Kennedy and his family and pray for everyone who is experiencing physical illness.

[Karen]

One interesting anecdote from my time at Mass General for brain surgery. My surgeon was a wonderfully patient man, and answered all my questions seriously, but not without some humor.

So one of the last of my list of questions before surgery was,
"I know you are going to cut a 1-inch square hole in my skull to get to the tumor. Once that heals, will it be good as new? Or will it be like a rowboat - you know, once patched, it's never quite the same? Could I, for example, go scuba diving safely even with the added pressure, or would it be apt to "give"?"

Dr. Ojemann very seriously said, "No, your skull is not like a rowboat. Once it heals completely, it should handle pressure as well as it ever did. But you should never scuba dive alone anyway. Because you will no longer have the balance of a normal person, you will be relying on visual clues more than before. And under water, without those "clues," you will not know which way is "up," so it is not safe for you to go without someone else who will just naturally "know" that."

Pretty interesting, huh? I have never scuba dived, but it is good to know, just in case!

[Catty1]

http://cfcn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/scfcn/CTVNews/20080603/Kennedy_walking_080603

Kennedy walking hospital halls after brain surgery

Related CTV Story Ted Kennedy: 'I feel like a million bucks'

The Associated Press

Tue. June. 3 2008 1:06 PM ET

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy enjoyed "a restful night's sleep" and was walking hospital hallways on Tuesday, one day after undergoing an aggressive brain surgery aimed at slicing away at a cancerous tumor to give chemotherapy and radiation treatments a chance to work.

Kennedy was "recuperating well from yesterday's procedure," his office said in a statement issued to The Associated Press. "He is experiencing no complications and has been walking the hallways, spending time with family and actively keeping up with the news of the day.

"He looks forward to returning home to Cape Cod soon, and is thankful for all the prayers and well wishes."

The 76-year-old senator is expected to stay at Duke University Medical Center in Durham for about a week before returning home to Massachusetts for further treatment. No further updates on Kennedy's condition were expected until Kennedy leaves the hospital, according to the statement.

Kennedy was diagnosed with a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe of his brain after suffering a seizure on May 17 at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass. He underwent 3 1/2 hours of surgery on Monday at Duke. Doctors provided few details about the surgery, including how much of the tumor was removed.

But Kennedy's doctor said the procedure "accomplished our goals." When Kennedy emerged, a family spokeswoman said he told his wife, Vicki, that he felt "like a million bucks."

In the following days, Kennedy will probably be given drugs to prevent brain swelling and seizures, which are possible complications of the surgery. The senator also will be closely watched for bleeding and blood clots. Strokes are also a risk, but are uncommon.

"After a brief recuperation, he will begin targeted radiation at Massachusetts General Hospital and chemotherapy treatment," his doctor, Dr. Allan Friedman, said in a statement following Monday's procedure. "I hope that everyone will join us in praying for Sen. Kennedy to have an uneventful and robust recovery."

The sole surviving son of America's most glamorous and tragic political family was diagnosed last month with a malignant glioma, an often lethal type of brain tumor discovered in about 9,000 Americans a year.

Details about Kennedy's exact type of tumor have not been disclosed, but some cancer specialists have said it likely is a glioblastoma multiforme -- an especially deadly and tough-to-remove type -- because other kinds are more common in younger people.

Cutting a tumor down to size -- or "debulking" it -- is extremely delicate because of the risk of harming healthy brain tissue that governs movement and speech. But Friedman, who is the top neurosurgeon at Duke and an internationally known tumor surgeon, said Kennedy should not experience any permanent neurological effects.

The outlook for patients with malignant gliomas is poor, and depends on what type of glioma a patient has. Median survival for glioblastomas is 12 to 15 months, but the range is wide, said Dr. Mark Gilbert, a brain tumor expert at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Doctors have not revealed Kennedy's treatment plan, but typical radiation treatment is five days a week for a month, using 3D imaging techniques that narrowly deliver the beams to the tumor, affecting as little surrounding tissue as possible.

Kennedy also likely will receive the chemotherapy drug Temodar during and after radiation. It can cause typical chemo side effects -- nausea, vomiting and fatigue -- but treatments are much better for these than even a few years ago, doctors stressed.

He also may be treated with Avastin, a newer targeted drug to deprive the tumor of its blood supply, though this is still experimental as initial treatment, rather than after patients have relapsed.

[moosmom]

The Mass General doctor was right on the money!!! When my daughter, a 16 year cancer survivor of a malignant brain tumor (pineal blastoma), had her tumor removed at the age of 16, she was operated on by a doctor (the top of his field, we were told) from Duke. I will be forever greatful to that man for saving my daughter's life. That, chemo and radiation along with my daughter's very strong will and positive attitude have allowed her to live 15 years (and running) longer than the doctors prognosed.

Senator Kennedy will be in my thoughts and prayers.

[shepgirl]

I always thought highly of the Kennedy's and their zest for life. They did have their downside but everybody does. I believe in moving forward and not looking back. I think they all had a special way in which they lived life to the fullest. All of them were very strong in mind and body and Ted Kennedy has longevity on his side. Many people don't even get to his age and don't have brain tumors. If it's meant to be he will live many more yrs, if not he will live the remainder of his years to the fullest.
Fifteen yrs ago I was given 6 mos to a year to live, well, here I am and it proves God has the last say, not doctors.

[moosmom]

God has the last say, not doctors.

Right on Shepgirl!!! My daughter is living proof.:D;)

[momoffuzzyfaces]

They say he was awake for most of the operation. The cancer would never have had a chance to kill me, I'd have been so scared, I would have died of fright. :eek:

[Medusa]

They say he was awake for most of the operation. The cancer would never have had a chance to kill me, I'd have been so scared, I would have died of fright. :eek:

From what I understand and saw on TV, there's no pain and he would be able to even converse w/the doctors while the surgery was in progress. Surgery certainly has come a long way, hasn't it? When I had my brain surgery in the Dark Ages (1951 LOL), they drilled a hole in the base of my skull and bled me, much like medieval times, w/the hope that pressure on my brain would be relieved. Instead, it paralyzed the left side of my body. (I've since recovered, thankfully.) Ted Kennedy made the brave and right decision to have this surgery. Who knows how long it may have extended his life. I know what you mean, though. It's scary to think that the doctors are in there, gettin' busy w/my brain, while I'm wide awake!

[Grace]

He was asleep while they were getting down into his brain. Once they got past the dura, the brain does not feel pain.

They wanted him awake so they would know if they were going too far with the resection. The left parietal lobe controls speech and his right sided movement. They certainly didn't want him to wake up unable to move or communicate!

Once they finished with the resection, he was put under once again.

His head was also immobilized, so he couldn't move it by accident.

[Catty1]

http://cfcn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/scfcn/CTVNews/20080609/Kennedy_hospital_080609

Kennedy returns to Cape Cod after surgery

The Associated Press

Mon. June. 9 2008 9:51 PM ET

BOSTON — Fresh from his hospitalization for an aggressive surgery on a cancerous brain tumour, Senator Edward M. Kennedy announced it was "good to be home'' at his family's Cape Cod compound Monday and headed out for a sail.

Kennedy left the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., on Monday morning and arrived at his family's Hyannis Port compound just before noon. With his thick white hair visible beneath a beige, wide-brimmed hat, he told reporters he felt "good to be home, good to be here.''

Within hours, he went out sailing with his wife, Vicki. It was the same homecoming routine he followed last month when he was released from a Boston hospital after being diagnosed with a malignant glioma, a lethal type of brain tumour. A malignant glioma is one of the worst kinds of brain cancer, and malignant gliomas are diagnosed in about 9,000 Americans a year.

"His doctors are pleased with his progress since surgery a week ago, and he will continue to recuperate at home before starting the next phase of his treatment,'' Kennedy's office said in a statement. "He is thankful for the extraordinary care of the doctors and nurses at Duke, and also for the continued prayers and well wishes from the people of Massachusetts and all over the country.''

Kennedy, 76, underwent the risky, 3 1/2-hour surgery last Monday to remove as much of the tumour as possible, a procedure aimed at improving the success of chemotherapy and radiation. His surgeon at Duke, Dr. Allan Friedman, said Monday that Kennedy "is making an excellent recovery.''

"He will continue his recuperation at home in Massachusetts under the supervision of the very capable doctors at the Massachusetts General Hospital,'' Friedman said in a statement.

Kennedy's son, Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), said he planned to have dinner with his father Monday night.

"My dad's doing great,'' the younger Kennedy said Monday after an appearance at Brown University. "He's benefited enormously from the surgery he received and he's on his way home, and we're so fortunate that, you know, he's going back to the place that he loves. ... Always makes him feel great being near the ocean.''

Patrick Kennedy told the Providence Journal on Sunday his father was looking forward to returning to the Senate and working with Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama on universal health care legislation should the Illinois senator win the White House.

"That is what he is talking and thinking about,'' Kennedy said. "It adds a great deal of poignancy to his recovery. But that's how he sees it -- he has to recover so he can get health care for the millions of people who don't have access to the care that we do.''

Kennedy told the newspaper that his father wants to begin writing the legislation this year so it would be ready if Obama was victorious.

Kennedy's family and doctors have released few details about the particular type of tumour, which plays a key role in determining his survival odds. Some cancer specialists have said Kennedy appears to have a glioblastoma multiforme -- a serious and tough-to-remove type of tumour -- because other kinds are more common in younger people.

Doctors familiar with the type of surgery have said it almost never leads to a cure, but radiation or chemotherapy treatments have a better chance of success because there's less tumour to fight.

"The senator and his wife Vicki are wonderful people, and I hope you will join me in wishing them the best as they continue their difficult journey to fight this disease,'' Friedman said. "Their courageous and positive attitude is a lesson for us all.''

[Karen]

I always "argue" with medical people that I will get better faster at home, so I am glad, for his sake, that he was allowed to go home.

I spent 5 days in the hospital for my brain surgery, and was QUITE ready to leave when the time came.

[Catty1]

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/national/politics/general/view/2008_07_26_Wife_reports_Sen__Ted_Kennedy_completes _chemo_treatment/srvc=home&position=also

Wife reports Sen. Ted Kennedy completes chemo treatment
By Hillary Chabot
Saturday, July 26, 2008 - Added 3d 1h ago

An upbeat U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy completed his last day of radiation and chemotherapy treatment yesterday, according to an e-mail to friends and family from wife Vicki Kennedy.

“He remained strong and was able to stay on schedule throughout this shock-and-awe phase of the treatment and his doctors - and we - are enormously pleased with his progress,” Vicki said in an e-mailed update sent yesterday.

The senior senator was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor after suffering a seizure at his Cape home on May 17. He underwent surgery to remove the tumor and has been treated at Massachusetts General Hospital since.

“As you can imagine, after six weeks, we’ve really come to know and respect the entire Mass. General treatment team - doctors, nurses and technicians - and, even in the midst of this very serious business, we’ve shared a lot of laughter. But that’s not surprising to those of us who love and know Teddy - there’s always laughter when he’s around,” Vicki wrote.

Longtime Kennedy friend Phil Johnston said the 76-year-old senator has been very upbeat throughout his treatment.

“He’s got considerable energy, he’s on the boat virtually every day and he’s enjoying himself as much as he can on the Cape in the summer,” Johnston said.

The final day of grueling chemo comes as Sen. John F. Kerry pledged to ride the Pan Mass challenge next week in honor of Kennedy. A cancer survivor himself, Kerry sent an e-mail saying the bike ride this year is “for Ted.”

“This year, it’s especially poignant and meaningful,” Kerry said in a written statement. “I’ll be thinking of him every mile of the ride across a state we both love.”

[Catty1]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/washington/10medicare.html?hp

Kennedy Returns to Help Pass Medicare Bill

By CARL HULSE and ROBERT PEAR
Published: July 10, 2008

WASHINGTON — Senator Edward M. Kennedy made an extraordinary return to the Senate on Wednesday to deliver Democrats a decisive victory on a signature health care issue despite his own treatment for brain cancer.

Lauren Victoria Burke/Associated Press

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/07/09/us/09kennedy-190.jpg
Senator Edward M. Kennedy, with his niece, Caroline Kennedy, entered the Capitol on Wednesday for the first time since his brain surgery.

Mr. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, flown in virtual secrecy to Washington, stirred the normally staid chamber to a rousing ovation and moved many colleagues to tears when he made a surprise appearance in the Senate in the late afternoon to break a Republican filibuster on a Medicare bill.

Looking steady but flushed in his first visit to the Capitol since his cancer was discovered in late May, Mr. Kennedy was quickly surrounded by senators who could barely keep from overwhelming him despite cautions to keep their distance because his treatments have weakened his immune system.

Democrats were overjoyed and Republicans stood, smiled and applauded as well, though some looked uneasy as it dawned on them that once again Mr. Kennedy was about to hand them a stinging defeat on health care policy. The defeat was sealed once Mr. Kennedy delivered a clear “aye” in his familiar but recently absent baritone accompanied by twin thumbs-up.

“I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to be able to express my voice and my vote,” Mr. Kennedy told reporters as he left the Capitol to return to Massachusetts and resume his treatments.

Mr. Kennedy’s appearance was the product of a covert operation coordinated with Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, after the bill to block a cut in doctor fees paid by Medicare fell one vote short two weeks ago. Few Democrats were made aware of the plan until minutes before the vote, and Republicans were blindsided, giving them no time to plot a counterstrategy.

Mr. Reid escorted Mr. Kennedy into the chamber along with Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, the Democratic presidential contender who was in the Senate for the Medicare vote as well as an earlier terror surveillance vote. Also serving as informal bodyguards were Senators John Kerry of Massachusetts and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut and Representative Patrick J. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. Kennedy’s son.

Mr. Dodd said that Mr. Kennedy’s medical team had cautioned against the visit but that Mr. Kennedy would not be deterred.

“This is an act of courage,” said Mr. Dodd, a close friend.

Many of Mr. Kennedy’s staff members watched from the Senate gallery along with his wife, Victoria, and his niece Caroline Kennedy.

Once it became clear that Democrats had the votes to push the bill through, Republican resistance collapsed and the procedural obstacle was cleared on a vote of 69 to 30. The measure now goes to the White House, which has threatened a veto.

Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman, said there was “nothing to indicate” a change in the veto threat, but “it’s always the president’s decision.”

Nine Republicans switched their votes, providing enough for a veto override if the White House makes good on its threat and all senators stick with their position.

“Without Ted Kennedy, we wouldn’t have gotten the extra nine votes,” said Mr. Reid, who aides said was laughing uproariously in the cloak room after they pulled off the victory. “They knew the die had been cast, so they gave up.”

Senate officials said Mr. Kennedy had been unhappy that his absence had hurt efforts to block the cuts, which some fear could make some doctors less willing to treat patients on Medicare, a program Mr. Kennedy has championed since he voted for its creation in 1965. They said he contacted Mr. Reid about the possibility of traveling to Washington, and the two senators and their staffs hatched the plan that was cemented Tuesday night.

The bill would reverse a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors who care for millions of older Americans. The cut, required by a formula in the Medicare law, took effect on July 1, though the Bush administration has delayed processing new claims for two weeks, to give Congress time to come up with a compromise.

The bill had overwhelming bipartisan support in the House, where it was passed by a vote of 355 to 59 on June 24.

President Bush and many Republican senators have opposed the measure, in part because it would finance a small increase in Medicare payments to doctors by cutting federal payments to insurance companies that offer private Medicare Advantage plans, as an alternative to the traditional government-run program.

“It has to be done in a bipartisan way, in a way that keeps alternatives for seniors in the private sector,” said Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, who was one of the original holdouts against the measure. But Mr. Cornyn ended up supporting it Wednesday, along with eight others who voted to block consideration of the measure just two weeks ago.

Others who switched their votes at the last minute on Wednesday, just before the roll call ended, were Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker of Tennessee, Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, Mel Martinez of Florida, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and John W. Warner of Virginia.

In the last week, the American Medical Association has run radio and television advertisements putting pressure on 10 Republican senators, including five of those who changed their votes. Two senators singled out for criticism by the A.M.A., John E. Sununu of New Hampshire and Roger Wicker of Mississippi, are in competitive races, but stood firm in opposition to the bill.

Jubilant Democratic political operatives quickly unleashed attacks, hammering Republican senators whether they had held firm in opposing the measure or switched sides to support.

Senator John McCain, who was absent, addressed the Medicare vote on the campaign trail on Wednesday. He said Democrats were playing political games rather than addressing an important issue. He said he would have voted against the measure.

Mr. Kennedy’s appearance is not the first by an ailing senator at a critical moment. In May 1985, Senator Pete Wilson, Republican of California, was taken by ambulance to the Capitol from Bethesda Naval Hospital where he had undergone an appendectomy and pushed into the chamber in a wheelchair, wearing a bathrobe and pajamas, to cast a critical vote in favor of President Ronald Reagan’s budget in May 1985.

In June 1964, Senator Clair Engle, Democrat of California, dying of a brain tumor, was wheeled into the Senate chamber for two crucial votes on the Civil Rights Act.

David M. Herszenhorn contributed reporting.