Strong hold for alshabab fighters. And well take you to an island in the indian ocean going live to the Carter Center right now, where president jimmy carter is speaking about his cancer diagnosis. Lets listen in. All of the folks at the Carter Center, my doctors and literally hundreds of well wishers who have called in or send me letters or emails, and i tried to answer as many as i could. I think what ill do is outline what has happened so far with my medical condition, and toward the end ill give you a brief run downof what i plan to do in the future, and then ill answer some questions from the news mia. In may i went down to giana to monitor an election. I had a very bad cold, and i came back and they did a complete examination and an mri showed a growth on my tumor. They did a cat scan and so they were pretty sure there was a tumor. The tumor was only about 2. 5 cubic sent meters, but they removed about a tenth of my liver. And they did a biopsy and found out it was cancer, and it was melanoma. And they had a very high suspicion then and now that the melanoma started somewhere else on my body and spread to the liver. The doctors tell me about 98 of all melanoma is skin cancer and about 2 is internal. So then i came back up here after that, and they did a biopsy and found that they did an mri, and found that there were four spots of melanoma on my brain. They are very small spots about two millimeters if you can envision what a millimeter is, and i get my first radiation treatment for the melanoma in my brain this afternoon, and then i understand ill have four treatments scheduled at threeweek intervals. In addition to that, yesterday they fitted me with a mask to hold my head perfectly still while the radiation goes in to the right places, and im preparing for that this afternoon. In addition, they have given me an iv, with 30 minutes of [ inaudible ], and this is a medicine that they use for melanoma that enhances the activity of of the of the antiimmune system, and this is medicine that has been approved in the United States. Similar ones have also been tested in europe. My doctors and they were also going to continue to scan other parts of my body with mri and cat scan and pet scan to see if and where the melanoma originated, and so that will be an ongoing examination of my body for the next number of months, i presume. If if that goes on that long. Doctor [ inaudible ] is the doctor that did the surgery on my liver. Dr. David lawson is a specialist on melanoma, and doctor [ inaudible ] who is here is a specialist on radiation. And they have worked very closely with other Cancer Centers around this nation in particular, in particular, in texas the National Cancer institute, sloankettering and others. I have had a lot of people call and recommend different places, and i have referred those offers of help to the doctors and they have reached out to get their approval of what they have decided to do in my treatment. For a number of years, we have planned on dramatically reducing our work at the Carter Center, but we havent done it yet. I thought about it when i was 80, i thought about it again when i was 85. I thought about it again when i was 90. So this is a good time for us to carry out our longdelayed plans. So im going to cut back fairly dramatically on my obligations at emery, at the Carter Center. As you know half of our trustees are selected by emery, and we approve them, and vice versa, the president of Emery University is on our board of trustees as is rosa and i. We have a fairly substantial endowment to tie the Carter Center over. I am no longer able to raise funds, but ill continue to sign letters requesting contributions and making key calls to people that might be prospects for funding. So ill continue with the funding. The trustee meetings at Carter Center, ill continue to at tend those, and i would also like to schedule regular meetings with our directors and fellows as they give detailed reports on what were doing with our peace programs and other Health Programs and so on and so forth. I cant really anticipate how i will be feeling, obviously. But ill have to defer quite substantially to my doctors in charge of the treatment. I understand that the the radiation treatments and also the injections will be every three weeks for four times and then stop and take a look at what the results might have been. And i ill try to adhere to that schedule as much as possible. The Carter Center is is well prepared to continue on without any handicap. If rosa and i do back away from a lot of the activities that we have been doing, we have decided last march that our grandson jason would take over as chairman of the board, replacing mr. Nelson, which was mr. Nelsons decision, and the board of trustees made that effective as of november. So jason will be the chairman of the board of trustees. And then of course if he wants me to give him advice i will be delighted to do it, as i have done for other people in the past. [ laughter ] i was a chairman for a while, but i stepped down a number of years ago to give other people a chance to work on it. So ill try as best as i can to continue my work as a professor at emery and to attend some of the meetings, but i would say the rest of my plans will be determined by my consultations with my doctors to get treatment for the melanoma that has existed in my liver. They think they got that all now. But now has shown up in my brain, and is likely to show up in other places in my body as the scans detect in the future. Thats all i wanted to say to you, but i would be glad to answer a couple of questions if you have them. [ inaudible ]. Reporter good morning, president carter, lori gary with wstb, what was your initial reaction when you heard the c word, the cancer word, and what doctors have said about your prognosis. You seem optimistic. Your spirits are very good. Well, at first i felt it was confined to my liver and the operation had completely removed it. So i was quite relieved. Then that same afternoon we had an mri of my head and neck, and it showed up that it was already in four places in my brain, so i would say that night and until the next day when i came back up to emery, i thought i only had a few weeks ago. But i was surprisingly at ease. I have had a wonderful life. I have had thousands of friends. And an exciting, adventurous, and gratifying existence, so i was surprisingly at ease. Much more so than my wife was. [ laughter ] but now i feel its in the hands of god whom i worship, and i will be prepared for anything that comes. Reporter thank you. Thank you. Reporter mr. President . Why, oh, hi. Reporter mr. President you just said that you expect that there will be further cancers diagnosed. Yes. Reporter was it at all difficult given that you also said that you thoit was a matter of a few weeks, was it difficult to decide to go ahead with any treatment . Did you faith play into that at all . Or did you consider at anytime not doing anything at all . No, i never have doubted that i would carry out the recommendations of the emery doctors, so when they said they wanted to go ahead and find out other places that might show up cancer and treat them, im perfectly at ease with that. And im perfectly at ease with whatever comes. I do have deep religious faith, which im grateful for, and i was pleasantly surprised that i didnt go into an attitude of despair or anger or anything like that. I was just completely at ease, as rosa would testify, i think about my voracity. But i just have been very grateful for that part. So im ready for anything. And looking forward to a newed a venn kwhur. Reporter president carter katy [ inaudible ] with the associated press. You just said you felt at ease, can you tell us a little bit more about your discussions with your doctors, with your family, and how you came to decide that you did want treatment and you wanted to pursue anything that your doctors did recommend would be appropriate for you . That never was a difficulty from me. Because i dont think i ever deviated from a commitment to do what my doctors recommended. So that wasnt a big decision for me. And so dr. [ inaudible ] is here, and i understand if you have any technical questions, he would be willing to answer any questions you might have later on. But the three doctors have worked in close harmony with me, and the surgeon who did the operation on my liver, dr. [ inaudible ], and dr. [ inaudible ] who is a specialist on treatment on cancer, and also dr. Lawson who is a specialist on melanoma itself. So they have been a team, and i have complete confidence in them. And they have been gracious enough to reach out to others who have volunteered to consult with them, and i understand they have shared even the mri with with some others, so they can consulting, i guess with the best cancer treaters in the world, and im very grateful that emery is in charge. Reporter lynn anderson. First of all, president carter, im so sorry and sad to hear this news. And i just have a basic question. How are you feeling . I feel good. I havent felt any weakness or disability. The plain has been very slight right after the operation on my liver i had a little bit of pain in my stomach, it was a laparoscopic surgery. I had some pain in my right shoulder, strangely enough, but the doctor said that is expected, theres a resinating pain that knows from your internal organ up to your right shoulder, and if you have a heart problem it goes to your left shoulder. And it only took the Pain Medicine a few hours and then i didnt have to take it anymore. I had a slight reaction to the first treatment last night, and i had a little bit of pain many my shoulder, and i went to bed about 6 00 and slept until 8 00 this morning. I think thats probably the best nights sleep i have had in many years. [ laughter ] so i feel at ease about everything, and i have been very lucky that the emery doctors have been able to control any aspects of pain from the operation or the presence of cancer. Reporter mr. President tom jones from wsvtv. Has there been any correspondent or call that really touched you . Well, both the former president bush called me at one time. And george h. W. Bush, bush senior called me again yesterday afternoon. I think i appreciated that very much. And their wives were on the phone with them. President obama called. Vice President Biden called. Hillary clinton called. Secretary of state called. First time they have called me in a long time. [ laughter ] and but i think the Close Friends that i have had around home that have done special things or bring us peach pie stuff like that, thats what has really made me feel really emotional, and my whole family we have 21 other carters that live in georgia, and they have been down to see us. Theyll be down again this weekend for my wifes birthday celebration. So i just had a multiple infusion of gratitude. Reporter thank you. Reporter hi, Jonathan Karl with abc news. Two questions, first, i saw a report that you told habitat for humanity that you would still like to go forward with your trip to nepal in november. Do you still hope to make that trip . That i would still hope to go. It would require an airplane flight to kathmandu to the area south down towards the indian border, and if i do that, i understand i havent talked to the doctors yet but i understand from my schedule it would require a fiveweek postponement of my last treatment. So thats what im going to have to consider. But up until this morning, i was completely committed to go to habitat but if i dont go, the rest of my family will probably go and take my place. Reporter and if i can ask you have really redefined what it means to be a former president. Can you reflect on the work you have done since you left the white house, and what you hope to still do . Well, the work at the Carter Center has been, i would say more personally gratifying to me. Because when you are president you have a responsibility for for 350 Million People and 3,000 members of the armed forces and budgets and congress and so forth. And i was able to do a number of good things when i was president , for which im very grateful, and that was the high point of my life, politically speaking, and having been the president of the United States, a great country, has made it possible for me to have the influence with people and knowledge that has been the foundation for the Carter Center. But the Carter Center has a different approach. We deal with individual people in the smallest and most obscure and suffering villages in the desert and in the jungles of africa. And we have had programs in 80 Different Countries on earth for the poorest and most destitute people in the world, and that has been, i would say far more gratifying, personally. Because we actually interact with with families and with people who who are going blind or who have lymphatic [ inaudible ] which issel fan tie advertise, and going into villages and learning about them, and learning what their needs are, and meeting those needs with the medical staff, i think has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. My life since the white house has been personally more gratifying, although the presidency was obviously the pen ca call of my political success. Reporter do you still feel you have a lot of work left to do . Well, i do, and within the bounds of my physical and mental capability, ill continue to do it, but im going to have to give the treatment regimen, i think top priority. Reporter thank you. Reporter good morning, mr. President. Halle jackson, nbc news. What message do you have to other Cancer Patients who are watching you go through this now . Well, i have learned a lot about cancer with the death of my father and only brother and both of my sisters from pancreatic cancer. And for a long time my family was the only family on earth that had has many as four members who died of pancreatic cancer. As i left the white house and my brother and sisters continued to die, my did checks on my blood samples and things like that, and scans of different kinds. So pancreatic cancer, i understand does have some genetic cause, thats what i have read in some of the scientific documents, but it is exacerbated by smoking cigarettes, which i have never done. So the melanoma is completely different. And the melanoma may show up on my pancreas, but they have not found that to be true. So far the only cancer that has been known is on my liver and on my brain. So i would say that one of the greatest scientific developments in the last five years has been with two kinds of cancer. One is lung cancer, and the other is melanoma, and so the treatment for melanoma, in addition to radiation or chemotherapy, as been any giving of these medicines that exacerbate or enhance, i would say is a better word they enhance the function of your self regulating aspect, the autoimmune system. They make your autoimmune system more active. So thats the basic approach. Reporter so the message to other patients . Is it one of hope and acceptance . Hope and acceptance, yes. Hope for the best and accept what comes. I think i have been as blessed as any human being in the world with having become the United States of america, and governor of georgia and the work of the Carter Center, and big and growing family, and thousands of friends, so i dont think and living to be 91 years old the first of october, so i have had everything has been a blessing for me, so im thankful and hopeful. Reporter president carter [ inaudible ] with voice of america. I wanted to ask what has been you said you have sort of taken a pragmatic approach to the treatment and the news, but what has been the most difficult part about the news for you in the last couple of weeks . Well, i havent had any difficult treatment aspect yet. You know, the liver surgery was fairly extensive. They removed about 1 10th of my liver i understand. But it healed up quickly, and i had minimal pain. And the first treatment i had yesterday will be followed this afternoon by the by the radiation, and that will be every three weeks for four times, and then they will reassess. Reporter is it difficult to step away well, that is the bad part. I really wanted to go to nepal to build houses. This would have been our 33 year without fail. But if it interrupts the strict treatment regimen, then i think i need to get the treatment. Reporter thank you. Reporter hello, president carter, karen grier cbs 46 news. You touched upon it a little bit in your illustrious career, as you said, governor here, president , even as husband, grandfather, father, is there anything that you are most proud of and is there anything that you thought maybe i wish i had not done that . Well, the best thing i ever did was marrying rosa. Thats the pinnacle of my life, and we have had 69 years together, still together. And so thats the best thing that happened to me. But i think getting involved in politics and going up as a state senator and then governor and then president of United States is obviously a glorious event. So and and we have a growing family. We have 22 grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. 12 grandchildren and 10 Great Children now, and they come in every year. [ laughter ] so we have a great harmonious family. And i would say the haven for our lives has been in plains, georgia. I plan to Teach Sunday School this sunday and ever sunday as long as im physically and mentally able. We have hundreds of visitors come to see the curiosity of a politician teaching the bible. [ laughter ] reporter anything you wish that you had not done, or that you had done differently. I wish i would have sent one more helicopter to get the hostages, and we would have rescued them and i would have been reelected. [ laughter ] but that may have interfered with the foundation of the Carter Center, and if i had to choose between four more years and the Carter Center, i would choose the Carter Center. It could have been both. [ laughter ] reporter president carter, you just talked about your big family, and with this diagnosis have you encouraged them to see the doctor . Are you seeing that there is more interest in finding out what is going on with each one of them . I dont think theres any doubt that my descendants have some genetic challenge. So whatever the doctors recommend for you know, for blood tests or things like that as a precautionary member, i think that would probably be put into effect, but i havent discussed that with them, and i dont know the answer to that. Two or three more questions. Go ahead. Reporter president carter [ inaudible ]. Yeah, i know. Reporter i wonder, how did you break the news to your family . I found out toward the end of may that i had a spot on my liver that was suspect. And i think i put in my diary that i didnt tell rosa until about the 15th of of june, and then when i found out that i had definitely cancer, key members of my family came in to Carter Center, and i gave them a briefing and gave our chief executive officer a briefing on what the prospects were. And so and then i put out a statement as soon as i knew about it to the public, that i did have cancer, and we found out that it had metastasized, we also put out a press conference on that. I didnt say it was melanoma. I didnt say it had spread to my brain. I just said to other parts of my body. As quickly as i could, i told the public and my family the things about which i was absolutely certain, rather than just guessing. Reporter president carter thank you. [ inaudible ] with cnn. I know. [ laughter ] i have been taking all of these other questions so i could get to you. [ laughter ] reporter i have a couple more questions specifically about the medical aspects. You came back early to the United States. They had an mri at that time that showed this liver mass, but it wasnt until two months later that you had the operation. Thats right. Reporter im wondering about that time period. Was there a consideration not to do anything during that time period . No. Reporter and the medication, you said you were following the recommendations of your doctor. Were you given options . Yeah, i was given a complete run down on the operations that bureaucrat available and when they made a recommendation i took their advice. And we knew, i would say, at the end of june that i had to have an operation on my liver, but i had an extensive book tour scheduled of 14 or 15 cities, and i wanted to do that. And the doctors told me it was a very slowgrowing cancer, so we scheduled it when we got through with the book tour. And coincidently and not more importantly, my surgeon had scheduled a vacation trip in spain, so the combination of all of those things just caused me to wait until everything was ready. So i stayed very busy during that time. And i didnt tell anybody much about it, except rosa. Thank you. Thank you. Reporter [ inaudible ] waob in albany. You mentioned plains, talk about the support there, and what it has meant to you. Plains is my home, i was born there, my wife was born there. I knew rosa when she was first born. I was three years older then, and still am. [ laughter ] when i got out of the navy i came back to plains. And then when i got through being governor, i came back to plains. When i got through being president , i came back to plains. And now no matter where we are in the world, we always look forward to getting back to plains. Thats where our land is. We have had the same farm since 1833. We have a newer farm we got in 1904. We still grow peanuts and cotton on the farm. My roots are there, and my closest friends are there, and my church is there, which is very important to me. So plains has just been the focal point of my life. And a good many visitors come there every year, about 80,000, i think on the official count. And they come to find out how out of this little tiny town a future president could have come, and they learn about my schooling and things of that kind. So plains means a lot to me. Reporter thank you. Thank you. Lets not add anybody else to the line,