FOUNTAIN HILLS, ARIZ. — John McCain is in good health despite a 15-year history of skin cancers, including a minor case as recently as February, and bouts with precancerous polyps in his colon, cysts in his kidney and stones in his bladder, his doctors said Friday.
McCain, 71, takes medications for elevated cholesterol and prevention of kidney stones, as well as an occasional pill to help him sleep, a panel of doctors said during a 45-minute news conference. The presumed Republican presidential nominee also suffers minor bouts of vertigo when he abruptly rises from a chair, though the condition is not an indication of any heart condition or precursor to a stroke, the doctors said.
Despite his maladies, the senator from Arizona has extraordinary energy, even walking the Grand Canyon from one rim to the other two years ago, the doctors said.
"While it is impossible to predict any person's future health, today I can find no medical reason or problems that would preclude Sen. McCain from fulfilling all the duties and obligations of president of the United States," said Dr. John D. Eckstein, a Mayo Clinic physician who has treated him for 16 years.
The most serious health issue McCain has faced was the removal of a cancerous melanoma from his left temple, which left a scar nearly 2 inches in diameter and necessitated the removal of underlying lymph nodes. But no cancer has recurred there, and the probability of such a recurrence is less than 10%, his doctors said.
Eckstein added that there was no reason to think that McCain's age alone would be an impediment if he were elected president and that there was no evidence he has suffered any memory loss.
A panel of four doctors released summaries of McCain’s medical records Friday in what the campaign said was an unprecedented level of disclosure for a presidential candidate. Questions about McCain's health and age have come up repeatedly on the campaign trail. If elected, McCain at 72 would be the oldest first-term president; if he served two terms, he would leave office an octogenarian.
Health questions increasingly have dogged McCain, who last week made fun of his age in an appearance on "Saturday Night Live" and has been attempting to portray an image of fitness and vigor as he stumps across the nation. By addressing the health issue on the eve of a long holiday weekend, McCain's campaign staff said privately, they hoped to get past it and to turn public attention elsewhere as the campaign progresses.
