Former US president diagnosed with cancer, Obama wishes him well

President Barack Obama and wife, Michelle have wished former US President Jimmy Carter a speedy recovery after he revealed that he has been diagnosed with liver cancer.

Carter, 90, said on Wednesday, August 12, that recent liver surgery revealed he had cancer that had spread to other parts of his body.

The White House issued a statement saying that Democratic Obama and the first lady sent their "best wishes to President Carter for a fast and full recovery."

It added: "Jimmy, you're as resilient as they come, and along with the rest of America, we are rooting for you."

Carter said in a statement that, "I will be rearranging my schedule as necessary so I can undergo treatment by physicians at Emory Healthcare. A more complete public statement will be made when facts are known, possibly next week."

He served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 after defeating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford. He was defeated for re-election in 1980 by Republican Ronald Reagan.

The Carter family has a history of pancreatic cancer, including his parents, two sisters and younger brother Billy Carter.

Carter told the New York Times in 2007 that he and other relatives had given blood for genetic studies seeking to help doctors diagnose the disease.

Asked why he has escaped cancer for so long while it devastated the rest of his family he blamed smoking. "The only difference between me and my father and my siblings was that I never smoked a cigarette," said Carter, former governor of Georgia and a state senator. "My daddy smoked regularly. All of them smoked."

Jimmy Carter's health became a matter of concern in recent months after he cut short a trip to Guyana in May to observe national elections. At the time, the Carter Center in Atlanta said only that he had returned to his home state of Georgia after "not feeling well."

Republican Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and his wife also issued a statement saying Carter was "in their prayers as he goes through treatment."

Carter also received words of sympathy via Twitter from Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr, who said the former president "raised the moral chin bar for public service."