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North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) announced on Monday that he has prostate cancer, but is expecting to make a full recovery.
Tillis, who served in the House before winning a Senate seat in 2015, said he will have surgery next week.
“I am blessed that my cancer was detected relatively early and I can’t emphasize enough how important routine screenings are, regardless of how healthy you think you are,” Tillis said in a statement. “I had no symptoms and would have never imagined I had cancer.
“My prognosis is good because I went to my annual physical and received a [prostate] test, which led to a biopsy and eventually my diagnosis. Early detection can truly save lives.”
Tillis won a tight race to keep his seat in November against Democratic candidate Cal Cunningham. It took a week to declare Tillis the winner but his victory was pivotal in helping Republicans force a 50-50 split with Democrats in the Senate.
His surgery will come amid a two-week recess for the Senate, with lawmakers not expected back in Washington until April 12.
