Specter Battles ‘Serious’ Illness

Long-serving former Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter is fighting a “serious form of cancer,” a source told CNN on Tuesday. The 82-year-old veteran legislator was diagnosed with cancer a month and a half ago, but the details of the new illness—Specter previously fought off lymphoma and a brain tumor—have stayed with his family. Local Pennsylvania media reported that the senator was hospitalized on Monday, citing friends familiar with Specter’s condition. CNN’s source said that Specter suffered “a big flareup” of the illness on Monday evening.