Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg announced on Friday that she has been treated for pancreatic cancer.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg Health Update: RBG Cancer Scare
This marks the liberal justice’s fourth fight with cancer. In 1999, she had surgery for colon cancer, then in 2009 she was treated for pancreatic cancer, and last year she underwent surgery to remove two cancerous nodes from her left lung. She also had surgery to put a stent in her heat in 2014.
Ginsberg’s health has long worried Democrats. She is the leader of the liberal wing of the court, which is already outnumbered by the conservatives. She is also the oldest of the nine judges.
Despite her health scares, Ginsburg shows no signs of slowing down. Last month, she said, “I’ll stay on this job as long as I can do it full steam,” when asked about retirement.
Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton. She was only the second woman to become a member of the court.
As a young lawyer, she quickly gained a reputation as a champion of women’s rights, arguing six cases before the high court.
After Justice John Paul Stevens retired in 2010, she became the leader of the left wing.
