Doctors found the nodules in Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's lung when inspecting potential damage from a fall she sustained on Nov. 7. | AP Photo Legal Justice Ginsburg had surgery to remove cancerous nodules

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery to remove two malignant nodules in her left lung, the Supreme Court announced on Friday, adding that there was no evidence of any remaining disease and that no further treatment is planned.

Doctors found the nodules in Ginsburg's lung when inspecting potential damage from a fall she sustained on Nov. 7. Ginsburg fractured three ribs during the fall, but was back at work only a few days later.


Critically, doctors said there is no evidence the disease spread beyond her lungs — a development that could have precipitously cut the odds of survival.

Ginsburg said last Saturday during an appearance in New York that her health was fine and her ribs were almost fully recovered, and the Friday announcement from the court was her first public acknowledgment of the disease.

“The implication would be that this is localized to the lung, and therefore it may very well be stage one,” said Albert Rizzo, the chief medical officer at the American Lung Association. “That tends to imply it’s a localized disease, and it’s just a matter of recovering from the surgery.”

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Most lung cancer patients survive the disease if it’s caught early, as it appears is the case with Ginsburg. According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for stage one lung cancer ranges between 60 percent and 92 percent depending on its size and characteristics.

Still, Rizzo cautioned that the Supreme Court’s statement doesn’t provide enough specifics to determine Ginsburg’s exact prognosis.

The Supreme Court's statement also noted that doctors found the cancer incidentally while conducting other tests — a sign that the disease was detected earlier than normal. Lung cancer symptoms typically don’t show up on their own until the disease is at a far more advanced stage.

This is not Ginsburg's first encounter with cancer. She was treated for colorectal cancer in 1999 and pancreatic cancer in 2009, NPR reported. At 85 years old, Ginsburg's has never missed a day of oral arguments during her time on the court.

The court said on Friday that Ginsburg is resting comfortably and is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days.

