Former US president Jimmy Carter reveals he has cancer

Th 90-year-old, who was in the White House from 1977 to 1981, is perhaps best known for the Iran hostage crisis, which saw more than 52 Americans held in Tehran for 444 days following the Islamic Revolution.

Former president Jimmy Carter announced on Wednesday that he has cancer and will undergo treatment at an Atlanta hospital. Ric Feld/AP Photo

WASHINGTON // Former US president Jimmy Carter says recent liver surgery has shown he has cancer, and that it has spread.

The 39th president, now aged 90, underwent an initially successful operation earlier this month to remove a “small mass”.

“That procedure revealed that I have cancer that now is in other parts of my body,” he said on Wednesday.

“I will be rearranging my schedule as necessary so I can undergo treatment.”

“A more complete public statement will be made when facts are known, possibly next week,” added the Nobel Peace Prize winner, whose two sisters, brother and father all died from pancreatic cancer.

The Georgia native will be treated at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

President Barack Obama was among those who voiced their support, wishing his predecessor a “fast and full recovery”.

“Jimmy, you’re as resilient as they come, and along with the rest of America, we are rooting for you,” he said.

Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton tweeted: “My thoughts and prayers are with president Carter and his family.”

And vice president Joe Biden spoke with Mr Carter by phone. “A great man, always upbeat and optimistic. We’re praying for him,” Mr Biden said.

In May, Mr Carter cut short a trip to Guyana after he was taken ill. He was flown back to Atlanta, where he attended a public event the next day.

The former president was in the White House from 1977 to 1981. His term is perhaps best known for the Iran hostage crisis, which saw more than 52 Americans held in Tehran for 444 days following the Islamic Revolution.

Mr Carter’s failure to secure their release, compounded by a failed military rescue attempt, dogged his presidency and scuttled his bid for a second term.

The hostages were only released once Ronald Reagan came to office.

However, Mr Carter’s reputation is much stronger today than it was when he left office.

Reaching a peace deal between Israel and Egypt is now recognised as the zenith of his presidency and a major diplomatic achievement.

Meanwhile, his work since leaving the White House has also been widely praised.

He has been an extremely active ex-president, working as an elections monitor and lobbying for health campaigns via the Carter Center, which he founded in 1982.

There are four living former US presidents: Mr Carter, George H W Bush, Bill Clinton and George W Bush.

* Agence France-Presse