Ginsburg Leaves Hospital After Cancer Surgery

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg returned home from the hospital Tuesday, 11 days after surgery for colon cancer.

Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said part of Ginsburg’s colon was removed during the surgery. In a generally upbeat statement, she said the cancer had not spread to any lymph nodes.

A small tumor had invaded Ginsburg’s colon and “minimally penetrated the outer muscle,” according to a statement released by Arberg. There was no speculation as to when the justice might return to her court chambers.

Ginsburg, 66, participated in consideration of cases that were granted review Tuesday and in several death penalty cases acted on last week.

Arberg said: “All lymph nodes proved negative for cancer and there was no metastasis evident. A small tumor, 2 centimeters by 3 centimeters size, had invaded her sigmoid colon and minimally penetrated the outer muscle.” The sigmoid colon is one of four areas of the colon.

Ginsburg fell ill this summer while teaching in Crete and initially was treated for acute diverticulitis, a gastric disorder.

That illness was unrelated to the colon cancer but did lead to discovery of the tumor, Arberg said.

Ginsburg’s surgeon, Lee Smith, found a perforation higher in the bowel--separate from the site of the cancer and determined to be noncancerous--that was the source of Ginsburg’s abdominal infection, Arberg said.

Ginsburg, who had been a pioneering advocate for women’s rights, became the second woman to serve on the nation’s highest court, joining Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on the bench, when appointed by President Clinton in 1993.