MINNEAPOLIS _ Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton unexpectedly revealed Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Dayton revealed his diagnosis at a news conference the morning after he collapsed Monday night during his State of the State speech, which cut it short. He told reporters that his outlook is good and that he expects to learn more after a follow-up consultation at Mayo Clinic next week to discuss his treatment options.
The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party governor, who turns 70 on Thursday, said he learned he had prostate cancer during his annual physical examination. A biopsy conducted last Wednesday confirmed the diagnosis.
Dayton expressed confidence in his prognosis and said that he expects to serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in early 2019.
"I don't expect it to, within a short period of time, impede my performance of my responsibilities," Dayton said. "We'll know more next week."
Dayton has had a history of health issues that have included two spinal surgeries in recent years, leading to questions about whether the governor was up for the daily physical rigors of leading the state.
"I think I am," Dayton said. "If I don't, I won't continue, but I believe I am. I've said when I had my hip surgery that there are no brain cells in my hip. As far as I know, there are no brain cells in my prostate either."
While Dayton struck a jocular mood over the diagnosis and the fainting episode that halted his address to state legislators, he said he considered himself lucky after hearing about friends who have received the same news.
"I always thought I was incredibly fortunate because cancer seemed to be like Russian roulette," Dayton said, explaining that "It's grim, but it is what it is and it's not that uncommon."
He added: "Every time I get a clean bill of health at my annual physical I'm on my knees thanking the Lord for that clean bill of health. ... I feel very blessed at having had a healthy life as I've had despite some of my recent surgeries."
Dayton said Tuesday that he would undergo additional testing at Mayo Clinic during a checkup after his fainting episode, which saw him slump forward and strike his head on a lectern at the front of the House chamber while delivering his speech. But the DFL governor was back up and walking Tuesday morning, and held a lengthy session with reporters to both unveil his 2017-18 budget proposal and to address questions about his health.
Dayton said he does not believe that his fainting is related to the prostate cancer diagnosis.
Dayton said he had initially planned to publicly reveal his cancer diagnosis next week after his upcoming consultation. After Monday, however, the governor said he decided "in the interest of full disclosure" to reveal his cancer diagnosis.
"People deserve a governor who is on the job, qualified to perform the job intellectually and physically, and I believe I am," Dayton said.
Dayton's most recent spinal surgery occurred in December 2015 at Mayo Clinic, where he also had a surgery in 2012. The neurosurgeon who operated on him in 2015 said the governor was suffering from spinal stenosis, a common condition akin to arthritis, in which bone spurs that grow on the spine pinch nerves in the area.
The condition frequently leads to weakness and instability in the legs and is often treated with surgery.
