WASHINGTON — Joaquin Castro will be away from Congress for several weeks after undergoing surgery in Houston on Monday to remove cancerous tumors in his gastrointestinal tract, the Texas Democrat said in a statement.
“Today, I successfully underwent surgery to remove gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors,” Castro said. “Last summer, doctors discovered these small, slow-growing, and mostly asymptomatic tumors following a series of tests.”
“My prognosis is good,” Castro continued. “I expect to be home recovering in Texas for several weeks before returning to Washington to continue my work on behalf of the people of my hometown.”
Castro, 48, has represented much of the western part of San Antonio in the House since 2013. He was a fierce critic of the Trump administration, especially its immigration policy, and was a manager on the former president’s second impeachment.
He’s currently a member of the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees and is ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.
His twin brother, Julian, is a former San Antonio mayor and Obama administration Cabinet member. Castro served as campaign chair on Julian’s 2020 presidential campaign.
“We’re so grateful for the doctors, nurses, and medical staff at @MDAndersonNews who have given @JoaquinCastrotx excellent treatment,” Julian Castro tweeted Monday. “He’s recovering well and looks forward to getting home soon. I’m looking forward to him beating me on the tennis courts again soon!”
Joaquin Castro was diagnosed with the rare form of cancer last July after a car accident in Spain, where he traveled for a meeting of the United States-Spain Council, the San Antonio Express-News reported.
His driver hit a wild boar and Castro was transported to the hospital, where a doctor performed a precautionary MRI and found an irregularity. The tumor began in his small intestine and spread to his liver, the paper reported.
