Ginsburg undergoes procedure to remove cancerous growths in lung

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent a procedure Friday in New York City to remove two nodules on her lung that were determined to be malignant. 

{mosads}The pulmonary lobectomy was performed at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to remove the nodules from her left lung. They were discovered during tests in November to diagnose and treat rib fractures Ginsburg sustained from a fall.

There was no evidence of any remaining nodules after the operation was performed and pre-operation scans did not detect disease anywhere else in her body.

She is resting comfortably and no further treatment is planned, according to the press release. She will remain in the hospital for a few days.

The justices are not due back on the bench for oral arguments again until Jan. 7, but they are scheduled to meet for their first conference of the new year on Jan. 4.

Ginsburg, the Supreme Court’s oldest justice, has had two previous bouts with cancer. In 1999, she underwent treatment for colorectal cancer, and in 2009, she was treated for pancreatic cancer.

Those who have praised Ginsburg as the court’s leading liberal have expressed concerns about the 85-year-old justice’s well-being, some jokingly offering to donate ribs or cloak her in bubble wrap.

Another vacancy on the high court would likely lead to another explosive fight with liberals trying to prevent President Trump from turning the court into a conservative stronghold with a third nominee.

— Lydia Wheeler contributed to this developing report, which was last updated at 12:46 p.m.