Washington  - Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy on Thursday said he was doing "very well" and taking things "one day at a time" in his first public comments since being diagnosed with brain cancer earlier this week.

Kennedy, 76, the third-longest serving US senator and giant of the Democratic Party, said he had received an "incredible amount of wonderful notes" from congressional colleagues and the public.

The Massachusetts senator was released from hospital Wednesday after suffering a seizure last week. He made the brief comments to reporters before going sailing in his home state, walking along the waterfront with his wife Vicky and two dogs that have become staples of his days in Congress.

Doctors announced Tuesday that Kennedy, brother of slain president John F Kennedy, had a malignant glioma tumor in the left parietal lobe, an area of the brain that controls speech and motor control.

The exact type of glioma - and therefore his long-term prospects and treatment options - will only become known after further tests in the next week.

Kennedy was hailed by members of Congress from both parties Tuesday as one of the most effective legislators of the past century. (dpa)