Following 85-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s pulmonary lobectomy, recent tests have revealed that no more cancer has been found since the operation occurred in December. Some have speculated that the report was released in an attempt to shut down rumors that Ginsburg’s health is in worse condition than authorities reported after the surgery, including false social media claims that Ginsburg was planning to retire soon. These claims have sparked further speculation regarding whom President Donald Trump may choose in his third opportunity to nominate a new potential justice to the Supreme Court (already in his first term as president, Trump has been able to nominate both Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, both of whom were later confirmed to the court). Ginsburg, who is the oldest member of the court, will turn 86 years old in March. She is also the longest-serving member of the court’s four-member liberal wing.

Back in November, Justice Ginsburg announced that she had suffered a bad fall which resulted in the breaking of three of her ribs. During her time at George Washington University Hospital being treated for her broken ribs, two malignant nodules were discovered in her left lung. On the 21st of December, the justice underwent a pulmonary lobectomy, in which a lobe of her lung was removed completely. Due to her extensive time in the hospital, Ginsburg was forced to miss a round of oral arguments for the first time since she began serving on the Supreme Court in 1993. Ginsburg was treated for colorectal cancer in 1999, Ginsburg underwent treatment for colorectal cancer. Roughly a decade after her battle with colorectal cancer, the justice suffered from pancreatic cancer which was discovered at a very early stage. She also had a heart stent implanted in 2014. In all of these past situations, she was able to schedule her treatments for days in which court was not in session, making her inability to appear in court even more disheartening and concerning for her many followers.

During Ginsburg’s absence, the Supreme Court has had to withhold action on a number of now-notorious cases such as the Trump administration’s initiative to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military, the president’s plan to shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (also known as DACA, a program that protects undocumented immigrants brought into the United States as young children), restrictions on guns in New York City, restrictions on abortions in Indiana, and the speculation regarding whether or not federal law restricts discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation in the workplace.

The justices could still take some or all of those cases, but time is running short to have them heard during the current term. Since the court usually sorts out its agenda before the end of January, the justices could technically still take on any of these cases; however, time is running low to hold them during the current term.

The Supreme Court presently has a five-four conservative majority due to Trump's controversial appointment of Justice Kavanaugh to the court last year. If Ginsburg were to free her seat, Trump would have the chance to create the largest conservative majority that the court has seen in decades; however, for now it appears as though Ginsburg is not ready to give up yet, with reports from the court stating that her prognosis is positive and it is extremely likely that no further treatment will be needed.