Elizabeth Edwards Ailing

Former Senator John Edwards' estranged wife Elizabeth Edwards has found out her cancer has spread, with doctors recommending no further treatment.

"Elizabeth has been advised by her doctors that further treatment of her cancer would be unproductive. She is resting at home with family and friends," the Edwards family said in a statement.

Her family -- including daughter Cate, her brother and sister, Jay and Nancy Anania and husband John Edwards -- have gathered in Chapel Hill, N.C., to be with her.

During the Thanksgiving holiday, Elizabeth -- who was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2004 -- was not feeling well, People.com reports, and was briefly admitted to the hospital where physicians discovered the cancer had metastasized to the liver.

Elizabeth, 61, posted a Facebook message to her friends Monday. "I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces - my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that... It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day."