Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter says he has cancer

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Wednesday that a recent liver surgery revealed he had cancer that had spread to other parts of his body.

"I will be rearranging my schedule as necessary so I can undergo treatment by physicians at Emory Healthcare," said Carter, 90, in a statement issued from the Carter Center Wednesday afternoon. "A more complete public statement will be made when facts are known, possibly next week."

Carter, a Democrat and born in October 1924, served as the 39th U.S. president from 1977 to 1981 after defeating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford. He was defeated for re-election by Ronald Reagan of Republican party in 1980.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Enditem