McCain: Voters should not be concerned about my health
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/28/art.mccainlkl.cnn.jpg caption="Catch the full interview on CNN's Larry King Live, 9 p.m. ET."](CNN) - John McCain told CNN’s Larry King Monday that voters should not be concerned about his health, hours after the Arizona senator had a mole-like growth removed from his face.
McCain, who has had four malignant melanomas removed in the past, told reporters earlier in the day his doctor does not believe the latest growth is serious and was removed as a precautionary measure.
In the interview with King, McCain said he now takes precautions from the sun and is not concerned his skin cancer will return.
"Melanoma, if you look at it and be careful it's fine," he said. "I had one serious bout with it and that was frankly due to my own neglect. I let it go and go and go. In fact, I was running for president at the time. I'm not making that mistake again."
Three of McCain's past melanomas — on his left shoulder, left arm and left nasal wall — were limited to the top skin layer and were not invasive. They were removed in 1993, 2000 and 2002, and all were declared Stage 0, of little long-term concern.
But a fourth melanoma proved to be invasive and was removed from his left lower temple in 2000.
McCain also said he gets a routine skin checkup every three months, and his doctor often removes small patches of skin to ensure he remains cancer free.
"We do it quite frequently for those of us that were young and had great exposure to the sun," he said. "As you know my dad was in the Navy and we lived in places where I was at the beach a lot, and I'm paying the price for that."
McCain's comments also came shortly after the Mayo clinic issued a statement on the procedure.
"This morning, as part of his commitment to monitor his dermatological health on a regular basis, Senator John McCain visited the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, for a routine examination. As a precaution, a biopsy was ordered of a very small area on Senator McCain's right cheek. This is a routine minor procedure," said Michael Yardley, Chair of Public Affairs at the Mayo Clinic/
Catch the full interview with McCain tonight on Larry King Live, 9 p.m. ET
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I'm not worried about John McCain's health...
I'm worried about the USA's health, particularly if John McCain becomes President.
I am not concerned about McCain's health – well at least not his physical health. I am concerned about his mental health. Frankly, this man is unhinged. McCain is a liar, is not an honorable man, and is the worst candidate the Republican party could have put forward. What were we thinking! Romney or Huckabee would have been so much better than this fool. God help us if he actually gets to be President! And I am Republican - well, I used to be.....
Well, he's certainly healthier and less senile than Larry King!
He's gonna get sick, resign, and leave the people with HIS choice for VP.
NO !!!!!!!!!!!!
The guy is old and sadly in poor health. You can coverup many things, but a health problem is not one of them Senator.
i am not som much wooried about his cancer . my dad was a cancer survivor. i am more worried about a man his age running the countyr with all the mis jusgements he has had. 8 years of votong party line doesnt make you a maverick.
Time For a Change.
Melanoma would be bad for McCain, but the rest of us are better of with him in the race. What if he had to withdraw and the Republicans then picked Jeb Bush?
McCain's health will only be an increasing concern. A man of his age will inevitably have serious health issues... as he has demonstrated recently with his faulty memory, confusion, and lack of recollection of factual information.
Please do us all a favor and retire and take care of health, don't worry about our country we'll be fine under president Obama.
I am concerned, yes about his future health but more about his advanced age. The serious mistakes or mis-talks he's made lately make me wonder how sharp he is these days. I think he's slowing, both in memory and mental acuity. If he became president he would be from age 72 to 76 in the White House. His VP choice is much more critical than Obamas given this fact.
"Male life expectancy hit a record 75.2 in 2004, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced."
Things that make you go hmmmmmmm.
Yeah, don't worry about his health.
His anger issues and the fact that he's a thousand years old, now that's something to worry over!
One can easily notice that Senator McCain is not in great shape. Being as old as he is does not help. He would be the oldest elected president should he win in November. Now having a mole removed? One has to seriously understand that voting for him is in fact voting for his VP as the next main man. McCain will not be a healthy president to say the least.
It ain't your physical health, I'm worried about. It is your demencia!
MCCAIN WHO? IS HE STILL RUNING?
im more concerned about mcCANE's mental health to be honest. after witnessing week after week of ineffective campaigning, i have to wonder how alert the guy is.
now it seems that mcCANE will choose the role of angry old white man to get votes since he cant actually argue issues. look at the ads he is running and the outlanding claims he is making. it makes it look like john "oil spill" mcCANE has taken on the Joseph McCarthy playbook from the 50's!!!!!
obama should take mcCANE up on the offer for town hall meetings. he would put mcCANE to shame.
I will vote for Sen. Obama in November, have already sent him money and will probably give more.
But Godspeed, John McCain, he's a good man with a sense of humor to boot. I hope he lives to the same age as his mother. The two campaigns have and will say some nasty stuff about the other candidate, but I like both candidates.
But we are!
Although McCain thinks no one should be concern about his health and we wish him the best...We have to be, with a country that is in a major economic crisis our leader has to be in the best health physically and mentally and that person is not McCain. The stress of being the president would only add to McCain problems.
McCain's competence is a much bigger concern than the fact that he's pushing life expectancy.
The next concern is that he surrounds himself with a bunch of hacks and should he expire, we'd be left with whatever cast of idiots he brings in.
Well what else is he gonna say????
We're not too worried about his physical health...
get lost!!!
Never occured to me to worry
Of course voters should be concerned about his health. We don't want to vote in someone that is going to miss doing his job due to health problems.
Playing off skin cancer like it is nothing sends the wrong message to the people. You can't go about life always concerned about it, but you can't brush it aside like it is of no concern either.
Granted he is much younger, Obama shows that his health is a concern by excercising daily. That's a better message to send to America.
I'm sorry but I think we should be.
I think we can add Alzeimers into the mix. With the way he can't remember things. Like how he voted.
Vote for the correct person. Obama