Former senator Nick Xenophon facing surgery for benign brain tumour
Former senator Nick Xenophon has gone public with his recent brain tumour diagnosis as he braces for major surgery later this year.
Former senator Nick Xenophon has gone public with his recent brain tumour diagnosis as he braces for major surgery later this year.
As reported by the Adelaide Advertiser, Mr Xenophon, 65, was diagnosed with a meningioma, a benign and non-cancerous tumour near his brain stem. He would reportedly need essential surgery if the tumour grew any further.
“It should be okay, but there are risks involved,’’ he said. “It’s a ticking time bomb in a really crappy location.”
“As I got off the phone (with the diagnosis) I received a call that my father had just died. A bit of a double whammy.
“A subsequent scan before Christmas showed the tumour largely stable but appeared to be growing slowly.
“I just have to get through it. It has to be done.’’
Meningiomas form in the central nervous system, on either the brain or spinal cord, and are generally treated with a combination of debulking surgery and radiation therapy.
Since leaving politics in 2018, Mr Xenophon has been singularly focused on his law firm Nick Xenophon & Co. Lawyers. Since the diagnosis he has transferred his clients and staff to the Adelaide firm Lindbloms. Mr Xenophon will be attached to Lindbloms as a consultant.
The Adelaide local joined the state’s legislative assembly in 1997, before moving to the federal senate in 2008. He was a strong anti-gambling proponent and founder of the South Australian party SA-BEST, which currently has one representative in the state’s legislative council.
He gained national notoriety for his political stunts, namely the 2018 state election ad that featured him rapping about the problems plaguing South Australia. The 2018 election marked Mr Xenophon’s last bid in politics as he lost out to Liberal MP Vincent Tarzia in the seat of Hartley
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