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Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

(Photo by Mandel Ngan-Pool/Getty Images)

Michael Ginsberg Congressional Correspondent
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Democratic Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee has been diagnosed with cancer in his tonsil, he announced Friday.

“A few weeks ago, after consulting with doctors, I scheduled what I thought was a preventative scan for a swollen lymph node. The results, it turned out, were much more serious. 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 said in a statement.

Kildee added that he will undergo surgery and take “a few weeks” to recover. His office will remain open to serve constituents, he said. (RELATED: Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin Reveals ‘Serious But Curable’ Cancer Diagnosis)

Currently in his sixth term in office, Kildee serves on the House Ways and Means and Budget committees. He represented Michigan’s Fifth District from 2013-2023 before moving to the Eighth as a result of redistricting.

Kildee is one of several members of Congress to reveal cancer diagnoses in recent months. Democratic Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin was diagnosed with lymphoma in December, while Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey underwent surgery for prostate cancer in February.

This is article has been updated to reflect that Kildee has been diagnosed with cancer in his tonsil, not skin cancer.