Hospital Says Casey Has Speech Problems

CIA Director William J. Casey, hospitalized after brain cancer surgery last month, has been experiencing “speech difficulties” and “weakness” of the right side of his body, Georgetown University Hospital spokesmen said Tuesday.

The announcement was made amid continuing concern that the 73-year-old Casey is too ill to return to work, including a report Monday by “ABC News” that Casey is unable to speak, walk or control the motion of the right side of his body.

White House officials, including Chief of Staff Donald T. Regan and presidential spokesman Larry Speakes, denied again Tuesday that the Reagan Administration has begun a search for Casey’s replacement.

Praying for Recovery

“I am going to keep praying for his complete recovery,” President Reagan told reporters at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center.

Vice President George Bush, speaking to reporters after visiting Reagan, was asked if it is reasonable to hope that Casey would resume his duties. “I think you always hope that, but . . . I don’t know enough about the medical prognosis to predict that. I do know the operation was very, very serious,” Bush replied.

A brief written statement from the hospital said the CIA director has “begun radiation therapy, which will continue for a number of weeks.” Casey was said to be in “stable” condition and “slowly improving.”

The hospital’s statement was the first official description of the extent of Casey’s problems. Previously, spokesmen had said only that he was “fully conscious” and able to sit up in a bedside chair.

Hospital spokeswoman Cynthia Byers said no further condition reports on the CIA director are planned, in accordance with the wishes of the Casey family.

Casey entered the hospital on Dec. 15 after suffering a seizure at CIA headquarters. He underwent brain surgery three days later for a malignant tumor of the lymph system, called a lymphoma.

Had Secret Therapy

The brain tumor is not Casey’s first bout with cancer. The CIA chief secretly underwent radiation therapy and possibly other therapy in the last 18 months for cancer of the prostate gland, according to a source with knowledge of his medical history. The Times erroneously reported last month that the secret treatments were for colon cancer.

Primary brain lymphomas such as Casey’s are extremely rare, accounting for only 1% to 1 1/2% of all primary brain tumors, which themselves total only 2% of all cancers, according to Dr. Mark Rosenblum, associate professor of neurosurgery at the UC Medical Center in San Francisco.

The median survival period of patients with Casey’s type of cancer who receive radiation therapy is about 18 months.