NEW YORK
Former President Jimmy Carter announced Wednesday that he has cancer and it has spread to other parts of his body.
"Recent liver surgery revealed that I have cancer that now is in other parts of my body", he said in a statement through his Carter Center foundation, adding that he will undergo treatment at a hospital in Atlanta.
President Barack Obama expressed thoughts and prayers on behalf of the first family.
“Jimmy, you're as resilient as they come, and along with the rest of America, we are rooting for you,” he said in a statement.
Obama spoke with Carter Wednesday evening and wished him a "full and speedy recovery", according to White House spokesman Eric Schultz.
Carter served as president from 1977 to 1981. He is 90 years old.
After leaving office, he embarked on a career of humanitarian advocacy and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
