Bob Dole, a 97-year-old former Republican senator and presidential candidate in 1996, announced on Thursday that he is battling lung cancer.
“I was recently diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. My first treatment will start on Monday, ” Dole said on Twitter.
“While I certainly have some obstacles ahead of me, I also know that I will be joining millions of Americans facing their own significant health challenges,” he added.
Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the leader of the Republican Party during the final 11 years of his term.
He served in the House of Representatives from 1961 to 1969.
In the early 1980s, Dole chaired the Senate Finance Committee, which helps guide the United States’ tax, trade and health policy.
He was also the Republican presidential candidate in the 1996 election, which he lost to President Bill Clinton, who won 49.2% of the vote against Dole’s 40.7%.
Dole, who was nominated for vice-presidency in the 1976 election, suffered serious injuries in Italy during World War II, which resulted in a long hospitalization.
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