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U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., will step away from his congressional duties for a “few weeks” after a scan found a small tumor in one of his tonsils, his office announced Friday.
Kildee, who represents the 8th Congressional District including Flint, Saginaw and Midland, originally scheduled a scan for a swollen lymph node after consulting with doctors. Following the scan, Kildee was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, which is office says is “serious but curable.”
“Thankfully, I caught it very early. With early detection and great doctors, they found a very small tumor in one of my tonsils,” Kildee said in a statement. He said he will have surgery to remove the cancer in the coming weeks, and has been advised by doctors that it will take additional weeks to recover from the surgery before he can resume working in Congress.
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“The prognosis after surgery and treatment is excellent,” he said. “My doctors have advised me it will take a few weeks to recover after the surgery. I’m eager to have this chapter behind me and get back to work. But in the meantime, I’ll be away from the office for a period of time. My congressional office will remain open to serve the people of Michigan’s Eighth Congressional District.”
Kildee, 64, has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013, when he succeeded his late uncle Dale. He was a member of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership team, serving as a chief deputy whip, and he sits on the influential Ways and Means Committee, which sets tax policy.
Before being elected to Congress, Kildee spent decades working in local government in Flint and Genesee County. As a member of Congress, Kildee has helped secure millions in federal funding to help address the Flint water crisis, has fought to restore pensions for former salaried employees at auto parts supplier Delphi and has advocated for new federal clean drinking water standards.
Around 5.4 million basal and squamous cell cancers are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, according to the American Cancer Society. Most of these diagnoses — about 8 in 10 — are basal cell cancers, with squamous cell diagnoses less common.
Free Press Washington Bureau Chief Todd Spangler contributed to this report.
Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @arpanlobo.
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