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President Jimmy Carter says cancer has spread to brain

ATLANTA — Former President Jimmy Carter said he is optimistic about his cancer fight and that he would be getting treatment starting Thursday.
 
Carter said during a news conference Thursday morning that he has melanoma.
 
Doctors first discovered it in Carter's liver during a physical in May. The cancer has spread to four spots on his brain.
 
Carter was set to begin radiation treatments at Emory University Hospital Thursday afternoon.
 
Channel 2's Lori Geary and Tom Jones attended the news conference.

It was obviously very important to Mr. Carter to be open and transparent about his cancer diagnosis, even down to the size of the 2 mm tumors found on his brain.

[Special Section: President Jimmy Carter through the years]
 
"I think I have been as blessed as any human in the world," Carter said as he faced cameras as the world learned the details of his cancer diagnosis.
 
Carter said he has come to terms with his diagnosis over the past few weeks.
 
"I'm perfectly at ease with whatever comes. I do have deep religious faith, grateful for… I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't go into an attitude of despair, of attitude or anger," Carter said.
 
The 90-year-old former president said surgery earlier this month removed a small mass in his liver and radiation will hopefully shrink the four tumors in his brain. 
 
Carter was going to begin radiation just hours after the news conference at the Carter Center where he has worked for decades on human rights, peace, democracy and eradicating disease.

“I was able to do a number of things when I was president of which I was very grateful, that was the high point of my life politically speaking.  I would say having been president of a great country has made it possible for me to have the influence and contact and knowledge that has been a foundation for the Carter Center,” Carter said.

[PHOTOS: Jimmy Carter discusses cancer diagnosis]
 
Carter says the pinnacle of his life was marrying former first lady Rosalynn Carter. This year they celebrate 69 years together.

"I've had a wonderful life. I've had thousands of friends.  I've had an exciting and gratifying existence.  I was surprisingly at ease, much more so than my wife was," Carter said.
 
Carter said he has no choice but to cut back on his schedule at the Carter Center.
 
Thursday morning, Carter was talking about traveling to Nepal in November to build houses for Habitat for Humanity.
 
That will depend on doctor's orders.
 
Even though the former president already told many of them the extent of his cancer diagnosis, a handful of Carter's friends and family gathered in a downtown Plains, Georgia, cafe to watch his news conference Thursday morning.

[READ: Jason Carter to take over as head of Carter Center]

Long time Carter family friend Jan Williams said the former president briefed his church congregation about his diagnosis Sunday afternoon.

"He only talked to the members," said Williams, who is a member of Maranatha Baptist Church.  "He pretty much told us everything that the world now knows.  So we had a little bit of time to become a little more calm because of his calmness."

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Carter's niece said the entire town is pulling for her uncle. 
 
Dozens of people darted around Plains putting up campaign signs that read "Jimmy Carter for Cancer Survivor." It's a campaign Plains hopes he can win.
 
"We're all family here," said Kim Fuller, Carter's niece.  "We all love each other. He's at peace with whatever's going to happen, and when you're at peace with that, I think your grace is going to show."
 
Carter is scheduled to teach Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church this weekend and the town is expecting a lot of visitors.