Democratic congressman John Lewis says advanced pancreatic cancer is one more fight he'll take on and that he will continue to serve in the House as he undergoes treatment.
The 79-year-old Georgia Democrat announced on Sunday that the cancer was detected earlier this month during a routine medical visit.
"While I am clear-eyed about the prognosis, doctors have told me that recent medical advances have made this type of cancer treatable in many cases, that treatment options are no longer as debilitating as they once were, and that I have a fighting chance," Lewis said in a statement. "So I have decided to do what I know to do and do what I have always done: I am going to fight it and keep fighting for the Beloved Community. We still have many bridges to cross."
Lewis rose to national attention in the civil rights era and has represented his Atlanta-area district since his first election in 1986.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi relayed her best wishes to Lewis, saying, “We are all praying for you.”
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