A "sentinel" lymph node — located by injecting the melanoma with blue dye before surgery — proved to be cancer-free. Nevertheless, a total of 38 lymph nodes, along with a portion of the parotid salivary gland, were removed.

The large opening in McCain's face was filled with a flap of skin that was cut from behind his ear.

The records suggest that McCain was concerned about his appearance after the surgery, complaining several times the scar was "thick" and visible and that his face appeared swollen. He underwent a minor operation to minimize the scar and later wore a face mask designed to put pressure on the scar to help it heal.

"Patient is to wear the garment at night since he will not be able to do that during the day due to the nature of his work," a doctor wrote. The records show that McCain rarely wore the mask because he was unable to sleep with it on.

In addition to his battles with cancer, McCain has been treated for slightly elevated cholesterol, arthritis and noncancerous polyps in the colon. The doctors described his various ailments as minor and said they should not interfere with his ability to serve as president.

"I want to say emphatically: Senator McCain enjoys excellent heath and displays extraordinary energy," said John Eckstein, his personal physician of 16 years at Mayo. "There is no medical reason or problem that would preclude Senator McCain from fulfilling all of the duties and obligations as president of the United States."

McCain reported dizziness in 2000, described by a physician as "mild positional rolling sensation with rapid turning of his head when he gets out of bed in the morning." This was diagnosed as "benign positional vertigo" and was treated by teaching McCain to move his head so as to relieve the sensation.

Doctors said tests of his heart showed no sign of cardiac disease that would increase the risk of a heart attack. The records indicate that during two stress tests for his heart, he was able to exercise on a treadmill for 10 minutes.

"He feels well. Has hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim in 3 days this August," one of his doctors, Suzanne Connolly, wrote in November 2006. "Energy level is good."

Doctors detected bladder stones in 2001 and shattered them with a laser while also performing surgery to reduce the size of his prostate. He continues to have four kidney stones and takes medicine to reduce the likelihood of future ones, his doctors said Friday.

Doctors said they discovered and removed noncancerous polyps from McCain's colon during a routine screening in 2008. He continues to be mildly bothered by degenerative arthritis in his shoulders, hands and knees, in part because of abuse at the hands of his Vietnamese captors.

McCain is taking several medications, including simvastatin for high cholesterol, low-dose aspirin, hydrochlorothiazide to reduce the stone-forming calcium in his urine, and amiloride to counteract the loss of potassium that hydrochlorothiazide produces.

There was no mention of McCain's psychological or emotional state in the documents beyond numerous references to him being "pleasant and energetic."