Bob Dole, a former Kansas senator and Republican presidential candidate in 1996, said on Thursday that he has stage 4 lung cancer.
“I was recently diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. My first treatment will start on Monday, ”said Dole, 97, in a statement.
“While there are certainly some obstacles ahead, I also know that I will join millions of Americans who face their own significant health challenges,” added Dole.
Dole served as a United States senator for Kansas from 1969 to 1996 and also served as a majority and minority leader in the Senate during his long career. He was the Republican Party’s presidential candidate in 1996, losing to Bill Clinton.
Previously, he served in the Chamber, representing a large district that covered the western half of the state. He was also running for Republican candidate Gerald Ford in the 1976 election, which he lost.
Dole served with distinction in the Army during World War II, suffering serious injuries in battle in Italy.
After his departure from the Senate in 1996, Dole emerged as an unlikely political celebrity and product endorser, participating in famous television ads for brands like the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, Dunkin ‘Donuts and Pepsi.
In 1997, Clinton awarded Dole the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in 2018, Congress awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal. Both awards are the highest civilian awards in the United States
