OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Minnesota Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced back in September that she had been treated for breast cancer and that she has a positive prognosis.
Klobuchar said at the time that she had been diagnosed earlier this year and underwent treatment in February, which she said: “went well.”
Now, Klobuchar has revealed this week that her recent medical exam results show she is cancer-free.
Klobuchar tweeted, “Good news to share: I got my results back from my first 6-month post-cancer exam & everything was clear. I’m so grateful to be healthy and thankful for my family, friends, and the incredible doctors and nurses who have helped me,” she said, telling followers to “schedule that mammogram today!”
In September, Klobuchar published a Medium post explaining that, in February, doctors “found small white spots called calcifications during a routine mammogram.”
“In February of this year, doctors at Mayo Clinic found small white spots called calcifications during a routine mammogram. After this was discovered, I had a biopsy at Piper Breast Center in Minneapolis, and then learned that I had Stage 1A breast cancer,” Klobuchar said in a statement.
“After a number of other tests, I returned to Mayo and had a lumpectomy on the right breast which involved the removal of the cancer. In May, I completed a course of radiation treatment, and after additional follow-up visits, it was determined in August that the treatment went well,” she added.
“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 went on to thank her “incredible doctors and nurses” as well as friends and her “loving family” for helping see her through the ordeal, which “coincided with my dad’s illness and death.”
“Their support allowed me to continue my work with my colleagues on major pandemic and economic legislation, as well as chairing the joint Senate January 6th investigation and the For the People hearings while undergoing cancer treatment,” the Minnesota Democrat added.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar says she underwent treatment for early-stage breast cancer this year; doctors say treatment went well https://t.co/Vf35XNVujT
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 9, 2021
Klobuchar went on to warn Americans against “delaying physicals and routine examinations” due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“I know that because I delayed mine,” she admitted, adding that “more than one in three adults reported delaying or forgoing health care because of coronavirus-related concerns.”
“Studies have found that thousands of people who missed their mammogram due to the pandemic may be living with undetected breast cancer. Over and over, doctors are seeing patients who are being treated for more serious conditions that could have been caught earlier,” she said.
“There is rarely a good time to go in for a mammogram or routine health screening. So many Americans are still juggling their children on their laps and their laptops on their desks. They are constantly balancing their families, their jobs, and their health. It’s easy to put off health screenings, just like I did,” noted the Dem senator.
“But I hope my experience is a reminder for every one of the values of routine health checkups, exams, and follow-through. I am so fortunate to have caught cancer at an early enough stage and to not need chemotherapy or other extensive treatments, which unfortunately is not the case for so many others.”
Klobuchar is early in her third term, but her illness likely caught many Democrats by surprise given that the party only holds a one-vote majority in the upper chamber, thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Still, for her, Klobuchar is just relieved that her condition appears to have greatly improved.
“Like often happens with anyone dealing with illness, this experience gave me time to reflect on my own life and those I love. It also gave me renewed purpose for my work. I have immense gratitude for my family, friends, colleagues, and the people of Minnesota, and I know that each day is a gift,” she said.
