May 23 (Bloomberg) -- John McCain, the 71-year-old presumptive Republican nominee for president, appears cancer- free, has a strong heart and is in general good health, the Associated Press reported today.

McCain had melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, removed from his head and arm on three occasions, most recently in 2002. It hasn't returned, though McCain had an early stage squamous cell carcinoma removed in February and benign colon polyps removed during a routine colonoscopy in March, the AP reported.

The report is based on 1,173 pages of documents from 2000 through 2008 that detailed McCain's medical history, including vertigo, degenerative arthritis and high cholesterol. Like many aging Americans, McCain takes medicine to keep his cholesterol in check, and Mayo internist John Eckstein, McCain's personal physician, lauded his performance in a heart stress test.

The campaign is set to release the information to a wider pool of reporters later today.

McCain will likely face Democrat Barack Obama in the election, a slim 46-year-old who frequently plays basketball, the AP reported. Obama and his rival for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Rodham Clinton, haven't released their health records.

To contact the reporter on this story: Michelle Fay Cortez in Minneapolis at mcortez@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: May 23, 2008 09:20 EDT