Onetime Republican presidential candidate and longime former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole announced Thursday that he has stage 4 lung cancer and will start treatment next week.
“Recently, I was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. My first treatment will begin on Monday,” the 97-year-old Kansan said in a statement on Twitter.
"While I certainly have some hurdles ahead, I also know that I join millions of Americans who face significant health challenges of their own," Dole said.
Dole had a long career in Congress that included serving as Senate majority leader. In the early 1980s he chaired the Senate Finance Committee, which helps guide U.S. tax, trade and health policy.
He was defeated by Democrat Bill Clinton in the 1996 presidential election, garnering 40.7% of the vote to Clinton's 49.2%.
Dole suffered serious wounds in Italy during World War II that resulted in a long hospitalization.
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