PHOENIX — U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham said he was “very pleased” with the steps his friend and colleague, U.S. Sen. John McCain, has taken in his battle with brain cancer.

“I was very pleased with his progress,” the South Carolina senator told CNN late last week. “He’s making progress.”

Graham said he flew to Arizona earlier this month to spend some time with McCain, who has been undergoing his latest round of treatment for his glioblastoma. He has not returned to the nation’s capitol since the holiday break.

“We laughed a little bit, we cried a little bit,” Graham said. “I admire him greatly and I’m hoping he can come back and be with us.”

In a tweet on Monday, U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) also said he spoke with McCain and said he was “sounding good.”

Just got off the phone with @SenJohnMcCain. He is sounding good and is pleased that the senate has voted to reopen the federal government. — Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) January 22, 2018

McCain announced that he was diagnosed with the rare and aggressive form of brain cancer last summer.

The typical survival period after a diagnosis is 12 to 15 months, though a small percentage live longer than five years.

The senator called his prognosis “very poor” in a September interview with “60 Minutes.”

“The prognosis is very, very serious,” McCain said. “Some say 3 percent, some say 14 percent. It’s a very poor prognosis.

“So, I just said, ‘I understand, now we’re going to do what we can, get the best doctors we can find, and do the best we can.’ And, at the same time, celebrate with gratitude a life well-lived.”

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