Michigan congressman Dan Kildee reveals cancer diagnosis

Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee announced on Friday that he has been diagnosed with a “serious but curable form of cancer.”

Kildee, 64, revealed in a statement that he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma on one of his tonsils and will soon undergo a procedure to remove the cancer. 

“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,” Kildee said in a statement. 

“After additional testing, I’ve been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a serious but curable form of cancer. Thankfully, I caught it very early. With early detection and great doctors, they found a very small tumor in one of my tonsils,” he added. 

“In a few weeks, I will have surgery to remove the cancer. The prognosis after surgery and treatment is excellent,” the Michigan Democrat said, noting that it will take him a “few weeks” to recover from the procedure but that he’ll be away from Congress “for a period of time.” 

Kildee, Michigan’s Eighth Congressional District representative, has served in Congress since 2012. 

In recent months, several congressional lawmakers have revealed they are battling cancer. 

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.