John McCain's Story Heading to the Silver Screen
- John McCain passed away from brain cancer in 2018, and now his story is heading to the big screen after news of his upcoming biopic was announced.
- McCain had glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive primary brain tumor; brain cancer is treated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, and new treatment options have emerged in recent years.
- Including McCain’s cancer diagnosis and journey in his upcoming biopic would allow for greater awareness around brain cancer and make others fighting it feel less alone.
John McCain’s wife, Cindy, will be an executive producer. She said of the biopic that “John's story is one of incredible heroism, of serving causes greater than his own self-interest. There is no better time to tell it. I'm excited to share his life and legacy, and know this film will be a tremendous inspiration to people all over the world." As politics in America continue to be tumultuous, seeing an example first-hand of a politician who put the needs of others over his own self-interest will be a welcome change indeed. And being able to watch McCain’s battle with cancer if the film touches on it may help others fighting it, too.
Treatment Options for Brain Cancer
Glioblastoma (GBM), the type of brain cancer that John McCain was diagnosed with, is the most aggressive primary brain tumor. Treatment options for brain cancer include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. John McCain underwent treatment for his brain cancer beginning in July 2017, and eventually stopped treatment before passing away from his disease.
There have been some exciting new developments in treatment options for brain cancer. In an earlier interview, Dr. Suriya Jeyapalan said, “I think there’s a lot of nihilism when it comes to primary brain tumors such as glioblastoma. People are told, unfortunately, in the local community at times, you know, just go home and maximize time with your family. And that’s not the case anymore.”
Dr. Jeyapalan explained, “We’re getting people who are surviving quite some time with a good quality of life. There’s been the very exciting development of tumor treating fields, which are electrical fields that have been applied to the brain. They’re basically these adhesive pads, front and back, right and left. They’re connected to a device that now weighs about 2 and 1/2 pounds. And it generates this alternating electric current that has been shown in a major randomized controlled trial– again, an international trial with about 700 patients– to add on another 50% of survival at two years.”
Could a New Treatment Have Saved John McCain? Fighting Brain Cancer With Electric Field
Coping with a Cancer Diagnosis
John McCain was valiant in his fight against cancer, continuing to do political work throughout his battle with glioblastoma. In The Luckiest Man: Life with John McCain, author John Staler notes that in the months after his 2017 diagnosis, the politician started his fourth attempt at passing a bipartisan immigration bill, according to Publishers Weekly.
Related: A Major Step in the Cancer Journey: Learning to Deal With Vulnerability
Keeping an upbeat attitude through cancer, and continuing to forge ahead with life, as McCain did, can be beneficial. Dr. Zuri Murrell, a Colorectal Surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said in a previous interview, “My patients who thrive, even with stage 4 cancer, from the time that they, about a month after they’re diagnosed, I kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be OK. Now doesn’t that mean I’m good at saying that the cancer won’t grow. But I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patient are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”
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