US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has said she is undergoing chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer.
In a statement, the 87-year-old judge said the treatment was having “positive results” and she was “fully able” to continue in her post.
“I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam. I remain fully able to do that,” she said.
Ms Ginsburg said a scan had revealed lesions on her liver, but the chemotherapy had helped reduce them.
The health of Ginsburg, the court’s senior liberal member, is closely watched because a Supreme Court vacancy could give Republican President Donald Trump the opportunity to appoint a third justice to the nine-member court and move it further to the right. The court currently has a 5-4 conservative majority including two justices appointed by Trump – Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 and Neil Gorsuch in 2017.
Ginsburg has experienced a succession of health issues in recent years, including bouts with lung and pancreatic cancer. In May, she underwent non-surgical treatment for a gallstone that had caused an infection.
She has received hospital treatment a number of times in recent years, but has returned swiftly to work on each occasion.
With agency report
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