U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey’s 86-year-old senior senator, was diagnosed with treatable stomach cancer in the last 24 hours and will begin chemotherapy today.
The Democrat still plans to finish out his current term – his fifth in the Senate – and seek re-election in 2014.
“This doesn’t change any of that,” Lautenberg’s chief aide, Dan Katz, said of the senator’s political plans. “After he receives his treatment, back to normal.”
Moments ago, Lautenberg’s office issued a statement from the senator’s oncologist, James F. Holland, saying:
“We expect a full and complete recovery for Senator Lautenberg. The senator will be treated with chemotherapy administered approximately every three weeks. We anticipate that he will receive between six and eight treatments, and in between treatments, the senator is expected to be back at work in the Senate.”
Our thoughts go out to the Senator.
First and foremost best wishes to the senator.
It makes sense, given Lautenberg’s status as “oldest dude in the Senate who isn’t Robert Byrd”. Still, I really hope he pulls through. If any Senator deserves it, it’s probably someone like Lautenberg.
I also really don’t like the idea that if Lautenberg dies now, Christie the Hutt can replace one of the most liberal people in the Senate with a T-1000 Republican stoogebot. As if losing Kennedy wasn’t bad enough. Every Progressive Senator we lose is one more voice against the Beltway chorus that’s currently giving a blowjob to Evan Bayh’s future political career.
Please don’t let this happen now. For Lautenberg’s sake, and for the country’s.
She was younger than he is too, but best of luck and a fast recovery to Senatory Lautenberg.
Had a family member with it. Previously very healthy and vibrant. Won’t even tell you what happened and how fast. Let’s just say for every case where someone lives longer than the prognosis there is a case that goes the opposite way.
One of the deadliest cancers you can get and one of the most awful fastest ways to go. Hope he is one of the extremely rare cases where the cancer is found early enough not to be fatal.
My prayers are with him.
I hope he’s not serious about running for re-election in 2014. It’s not even the appointment thing (hopefully Christie will be gone by then), it’s just that being 96 and having stomach cancer and serving in the Senate=not a good combination for your health.
Not as bad as let’s say liver or pancreatic but the average survival is 18 months.
Cancer of all kinds is pretty serious stuff. I hope the best for Lautenberg and hopes he can win his fight with his illness. I hope he decides to do whatever is best for him and his family. Selfishly, I hope he fights the cancer while representing NJ, but if he chooses to retire now, I’d fully understand, even if the consequence is losing a reliable Democratic vote.
My best wishes for Frank Lautenberg.
And just now. Much times I think F Lautenberg should resign before Christie take office by his age. Bad luck for democrats. I hope F Lautenberg can recover his health.
I’m living very close just stomach cancer in a member of my family and is very bad. Fortunatelly, he lives in Europe under European public health care. Well, every cancer is different, good luck for the senator.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.s…
The way this article sounds, it is a very common cancer and one of the easier ones to treat.