On Friday, U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee revealed that he has been diagnosed with cancer - cancer that he referred to as "serious but curable."Â
Kildee made the announcement via Twitter. There, he provided both a video statement and a written statement on the matter.
Here's the video:
I wanted to give my constituents a quick update on my health.
A few weeks ago, after consulting with my doctors, I scheduled what I thought was a preventive scan for a swollen lymph node. The results, it turns out, were more significant.
🧵[1/5] pic.twitter.com/jiRq3Rvwhj
— Rep. Dan Kildee (@RepDanKildee) March 31, 2023
In his written statement, Kildee explains the events that led up to his recent cancer diagnosis.
"A few weeks ago, after consulting with my doctors, I scheduled what I thought was a preventive scan for a swollen lymph node. The results, it turns out, were more significant," he writes.
The congressman goes on to reveal that, "after additional testing," he was diagnosed with "squamous cell carcinoma," which he referred to as "a serious but curable form of cancer."
Kildee wrote, "thankfully, I caught it very early." He said, "with early detection and great doctors, they found a very small tumor in one of my tonsils."
Kildee goes on to provide his constituents with the course of treatment that his doctors have proposed for him.
He writes:
In a few weeks, I will have surgery to remove the cancer. The prognosis after surgery and treatment is excellent. My doctors have advised me it will take a few weeks to recover after the surgery.
During this period, Kildee said that he will be "away from the office." But, he doesn't provide specifics about the timeline for any of this.
Instead, he writes that he is "going to get through this" and that he is "eager" to put this all behind him and "get back to work."
As the New York Post reports, Kildee is one of several members of Congress to recently announce that they have been diagnosed with cancer.
Per the outlet:
Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) announced in January that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer but has an “excellent prognosis.” Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) said in February that he “successfully” underwent surgery to remove cancerous tumors in his GI tract. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) revealed in December that he had been diagnosed with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma and would undergo chemotherapy for the “serious but curable” form of cancer.
