McCain has spot removed from his face: aide

BAKERSFIELD, California - Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who has suffered from skin cancer in the past, had a spot removed from his face on Monday during a routine checkup by a doctor in Phoenix, an aide said.

"At this point it was just a precautionary removal," the aide told reporters on McCain's campaign plane. She said the spot was covered by a bandage and was visible on his face.

McCain has had four malignant melanomas -- a potentially lethal type of skin cancer -- surgically removed since 1993. Three of them were limited to the top layers of the skin and were not invasive. The fourth melanoma was invasive and was removed from his left temple in 2000.

Reporting by Jeff Mason, editing by David Alexander and Sandra Maler.

This video is from MSNBC's News Live, broadcast July 28, 2008.



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