Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery in Manhattan on Friday to remove two malignant growths from her lung – her third bout with cancer since she joined the court in 1993, a court spokeswoman said.
The 85-year-old liberal jurist was “resting comfortably” at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on the Upper East Side, where the pulmonary lobectomy was performed in her left lung, Kathy Arberg said in a statement.
Thoracic surgeon Dr. Valerie Rusch said both nodules were found to be malignant after an initial pathology evaluation.
But doctors found “no evidence of disease elsewhere in the body,” the spokeswoman said, and no additional treatment was planned.
Ginsburg is expected to remain hospitalized for a few days.
The growths were discovered during tests she had undergone at George Washington University Hospital after fracturing three ribs in a fall in her office on Nov. 7.
In 1999, she underwent surgery for colorectal cancer, and 10 years later she was treated for early stages of pancreatic cancer — but did not miss any argument sessions either time.
In 2014, doctors placed a stent in her right coronary artery to improve blood flow after she reported discomfort following routine exercise. She was released from a hospital the following day.
Ginsburg, appointed by Democratic President Clinton in 1993, is the senior liberal member of the court, which has a 5-4 conservative majority.
Considered a hero by many liberals, she has helped reinforce equality rights during her time on the court, including in sex discrimination cases.
In recent years, she has become a bit of a cult figure, particularly on the left, and known by the nickname “Notorious RBG,” after the late rapper Notorious BIG.
The documentary “RBG” was released earlier this year and a feature film about her life, “On the Basis of Sex,” will be released next week.
Since assuming office, President Trump has replaced two justices, tipping the balance in the conservatives’ favor – and worrying liberals that if Ginsburg dies or retires for health reasons, he would get yet another pick and further shift the court to the right.
Ginsburg called Trump an egotistical “faker” when he was running for the White House in 2016. He responded by saying her “mind is shot” and she should quit the court.
Ginsburg later expressed regret for her comments, saying “judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office.”
The Supreme Court is not in session until early January.
Ginsburg has already hired clerks for the term that extends into 2020, suggesting that she has no plans to retire anytime soon.