WASHINGTON (AP) John McCain, the six-term Arizona senator and the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, has chosen to discontinue medical treatment for his brain cancer, his family said Friday.
In a statement, the family said McCain has surpassed expectations for survival, but the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict. The family added, With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment.
The senator, who would be 82 next week, has been away from the Capitol since December.
McCain, a former Navy pilot, was held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam for more than five years. He was elected to Congress in the early 1980s and was elected to the Senate in 1986, replacing Barry Goldwater who retired. McCain gained a reputation as a lawmaker who was willing to stick to his convictions rather than go along with party leaders. It is a streak that draws a mix of respect and ire.
