After Kidney Cancer Treatment, Hirono Reports ‘Spots’ On Her Thyroid
The Hawaii senator will undergo immunotherapy but said she still plans to seek re-election next year.
Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono, who underwent two surgeries for kidney cancer after it was diagnosed in May, said in a statement to the media Tuesday that she will now be treated for “small spots in my thyroid gland.”
The statement did not indicate if the “spots” are cancerous, but she said she “will be undergoing immunotherapy, a cutting-edge treatment, to enable my own immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.”
She went on to say:
Hirono reiterated her plans to seek re-election in 2018.
“Having cancer sucks, but I know that there are people in our country facing major health issues every single day,” she said in the statement.
Hirono was elected to the Senate in 2012 and has been an outspoken聽critic of President Donald Trump in recent months.
She told Civil Beat in August she would not allow her health concerns to stop her from standing up for her political beliefs and energetically campaigning for re-election.
鈥淚鈥檓 still as feisty as ever,鈥 Hirono said. 鈥淭his administration presents so many opportunities to voice our concerns.鈥
She now serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, holding a post as ranking member on the seapower subcommittee.
Before she was elected to the Senate, Hirono served as a congresswoman, lieutenant governor and state representative.
