AP - As she lay on her side listening to the whine of a drill boring into her skull, Mindy Wanatick took comfort in a vision still within her grasp. There, taped on her outstretched arm, were pictures of her baby son, Casey, and her husband, Jason.

AP - Dr. John Sampson has spent most of his career studying brain tumors. And if diagnosed with the kind of cancer now faced by Sen. Edward Kennedy, he'd pick Duke University colleague Allan Friedman for a doctor.

AP - Bravery in the face of cancer? Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has given it new meaning. Few things require as much courage as being wide awake and aware, lying perfectly still for hours, while surgeons methodically slice out bits of your brain.

AP - Sen. Edward M. Kennedy underwent what his doctors called successful surgery Monday to treat his cancerous brain tumor, and told his wife shortly after that he felt "like a million bucks," a family spokeswoman said.

AP - Don Hayen has a handy way of deflecting the instant pity that comes when he reveals his Alzheimer's disease: "But I haven't lost my keys all day," he quickly jokes.

AP - Surprising research suggests that childhood cancer is most common in the Northeast, results that even caught experts off guard. But some specialists say it could just reflect differences in reporting.

AP - Targeted brain surgery like that chosen for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is a delicate balance — removing as much of the tumor as possible without damaging the patient's ability to walk and talk.

AFP - The cancer drug Erbitux prolonged the lives of patients with advanced lung cancer by five weeks, according to a new clinical study described as an important gain for such individuals.

AP - Surprising research suggests that childhood cancer is most common in the Northeast, results that even caught experts off guard. But some specialists say it could just reflect differences in reporting.