Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter revealed on Thursday that melanoma has spread to his brain. The 90-year-old will undergo radiation treatment for three weeks, starting on Thursday afternoon.
The president described the cancer, which was found during a liver operation this summer, as "very small spots," approximately two millimeters in size.
"I've had a wonderful life. I've had thousands of friends. I've had an exciting and adventurous and gratifying existence," Carter said on Thursday during a press conference. "It's in the hands of God [...] I'm ready for anything."
Carter is going to cut back "fairly dramatically" on his obligations at the Carter Center, his nonprofit that battles disease and advocates for peacekeeping missions in conflict zones around the world. "The Carter Center is well prepared to carry on without any handicap," he said. Carter's grandson, Jason, will take over as chairman of the organization.
Presidents Barack Obama, George Bush and Bill Clinton have already called to share their well wishes, Carter said. Hillary Clinton and Secretary of State John Kerry have also reached out. Carter joked during the press conference saying, "The Sec. of State called, first time he’s called me in a long time," which brought laughter from the crowd.
In a statement, Obama said, "President Carter is as good a man as they come. Michelle and I are praying for him and Rosalynn. We're all pulling for you, Jimmy."
As he made the announcement, signs began appearing in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, suggesting he'd soon be a cancer survivor.
Friends of #JimmyCarter are placing these cancer survivor campaign signs around Plains. #wsbtv pic.twitter.com/9LAykDx92M— Richard Elliot (@RElliotWSB) August 20, 2015
Asked how he felt upon learning of the diagnosis, Carter said, "I was surprisingly at ease," and since then the pain has only been "slight."
"I feel good. I haven’t felt any weakness or debility.The pain has been very slight," said Carter on cancer. pic.twitter.com/LVcLi3lIVW— Mashable News (@MashableNews) August 20, 2015
Carter mentioned his faith providing consolation after his diagnosis, and reflected on some of the most important moments in his life.
"The best thing I ever did was marry Rosa and we’ve had 69 years together, " said Carter about his wife.
Carter said he was "looking forward to a new adventure" as he begins cancer treatment. Asked of what Carter could expect, Tim Turnham, executive director of the Melanoma Research Foundation, told Mashable, “If Jimmy Carter had received this diagnosis five years ago, his future would have been uncertain as there were few treatments available. But now, thanks to advances in melanoma research, there are more than a half dozen new drugs giving him multiple treatment options."