Photo: Sen. Thom Tillis during a Judiciary Committee hearing on May 25. Photo: Tom Williams-Pool/Getty Images
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced Monday that he has prostate cancer, and will undergo surgery in North Carolina next week.
The big picture: The 60-year-old was first elected to the Senate in 2014 and won reelection against Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham in 2020. He tested positive for coronavirus late last year after attending a celebration for Amy Coney Barrett's introduction as a Supreme Court nominee.
What he's saying: "I am blessed that my cancer was detected relatively early, and I can’t emphasize enough how important routine screenings are, regardless of how healthy you think you are," Tillis wrote in a statement. "I had no symptoms and would have never imagined I had cancer."
- "My prognosis is good because I went to my annual physical and received a PSA test, which led to a biopsy and eventually my diagnosis. Early detection can truly save lives."