Sen Kennedy to be released from hospital

Sen Edward M Kennedy will be released from the hospital on Monday a week after undergoing an aggressive and delicate surgery to treat a cancerous brain tumour, his office said in a statement.

"His doctors are pleased with his progress since surgery a week ago, and he will continue to recuperate at home before starting the next phase of his treatment," the statement said. "He is thankful for the extraordinary care of doctors and nurses at Duke, and also for the prayers and well wishes from the people of Massachusetts and all over the country."

The veteran Democratic senator, a brother of the late President John F Kennedy, was diagnosed last month with a malignant glioma, a lethal type of brain tumour after having seizure at his Cap Cod, Massachusetts, home. A malignant glioma is one of the worst kinds of brain cancer and malignant gliomas are diagnosed in about 9,000 Americans a year.

Kennedy, 76, underwent the risky, 3 1/2-hour surgery last Monday to remove as much of the tumour as possible, a procedure aimed at improving the success of chemotherapy and radiation.

"It went better than anyone expected" his son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, told the Providence Journal from the Rhode Island Democratic Convention yesterday.

He said his father is looking forward to returning to the senate and working with Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Barack Obama on universal healthcare legislation should the Illinois senator win the White House. Obama faces Republican John McCain in the November election.

"That is what he is talking and thinking about," Kennedy said. "It adds a great deal of poignancy to his recovery. But that's how he sees it he has to recover so he can get health care for the millions of people who don't have access to the care that we do.