Former Sen. Arlen Specter has been released from the hospital but continues to battle non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Specter, 82, will return to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania to receive periodic treatments for the disease, according to a statement put out by Specter’s assistant.

Specter confirmed he was ill last week. He previously survived advanced Hodgkin’s lymphoma, undergoing chemotherapy while managing the Supreme Court confirmations of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito while chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

He retired from the Senate at the end of the last Congress after a defeat in the 2010 Pennsylvania Democratic primary.

Specter had been a Democrat before his time in public service but served most of his Congressional career as a Republican.

Earlier in his Senate career, Specter dealt with a brain tumor and a heart condition that required bypass surgery.

Since his retirement from the Senate, Specter has engaged in a variety of activities, including performing as a stand-up comedian and resuming his legal practice.