WASHINGTON -- Chief Justice William Rehnquist underwent treatment this weekend for thyroid cancer, the Supreme Court says, and is expected to be on the bench next week.
Reqhnquist was admitted to Bethesda Naval Hospital Friday and underwent a tracheotomy Saturday.
A tracheotomy is the creation of an opening directly into the windpipe in the neck to assist breathing. It is usually done on an elective basis to protect the airway.
The court said the chief justice is expected to be on the bench next Monday when court reconvenes.
There were no other immediate details.
Rehnquist was appointed to the court as an associate justice in 1972 by President Richard Nixon. He was elevated to chief justice by President Ronald Reagan in 1986.
