Former Kansas senator and Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole announced on Thursday that he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
“My first treatment will start on Monday. Although I certainly have some obstacles ahead, I also know that I will join millions of Americans facing their own significant health challenges,” said Dole, 97, in a statement.
Dole served in the House of Representatives from 1961 to 1969, then served in the Senate until 1996, when he resigned in the midst of the presidential campaign. He spent 11 years of his term in the Senate as leader of the Republican Party, setting a record at the time as the oldest Republican leader. During the presidential race, which he lost to current President Bill Clinton, health reform was an important part of his platform. He had promised “to look for ways to make health care more affordable and affordable for all Americans” and “to ensure that individuals who change jobs do not lose their coverage or face limitations of pre-existing conditions”.