Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on Thursday revealed she was diagnosed with stage 1A breast cancer in February.
State of play: Klobuchar said she had a lumpectomy on her right breast to remove the tumor. She completed radiation treatment in May, and "it was determined in August that the treatment went well."
- She said she did not need to go through chemotherapy.
What she's saying: "Of course this has been scary at times, since cancer is the word all of us fear, but at this point my doctors believe that my chances of developing cancer again are no greater than the average person," Klobuchar said.
- After thanking her doctors, the senator said: "I also want to call attention to the fact that many people have been delaying physicals and routine examinations because of the pandemic. I know that because I delayed mine. ... Over and over, doctors are seeing patients who are being treated for more serious conditions that could have been caught earlier."
- "I hope my experience is a reminder for everyone of the value of routine health checkups, exams, and follow-through," she said.
The big picture: Research released last year during the pandemic showed that the number of people being diagnosed with breast cancer has declined by more than half (51.8%).
