Sen. Amy Klobuchar Undergoing Precautionary Radiation Therapy After Small Spot Was Found During Cancer Screening
The senior Minnesota senator, who was successfully treated for Stage 1A breast cancer in 2021, said that "each day is a gift" after she detected a breast calcification early
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared a health update on Friday, July 12, revealing the details of a recent preventative procedure.
"I recently had my routine 6-month exam at Mayo Clinic, which I have had regularly ever since being diagnosed with Stage 1A breast cancer and successfully treated in 2021," she wrote in a statement. "During this visit, a small white spot called a calcification was found."
Calcifications, which are usually benign and can be detected by mammograms, are calcium deposits that form in breast tissue. Though they don't cause cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic, they can sometimes serve as a warning sign that precancerous changes are happening within the tissue.
Klobuchar, 64, revealed that she had a successful, "minimally invasive outpatient procedure" to remove the spot and will undergo radiation therapy for a few days in July as a precaution.
"Thanks to early detection and diligent follow-up visits, my doctor says I am now cancer-free," the senator said. "I want to again encourage every Minnesotan and every American to get their routine screenings, exams, and follow-ups. It made a huge difference for me, and I know it can make a huge difference for so many others."
"Our health is not something we can ever take for granted, and this is another reminder that each day is a gift," she added.
Klobuchar joined Congress in 2007, and serves as Minnesota's senior senator. She currently chairs the Senate's Rules Committee and Democratic Steering Committee.
She elevated her national profile during Brett Kavanaugh's controversial Supreme Court nomination hearings in 2018, when she questioned him about whether he'd ever blacked out from drinking, causing him to angrily fire back with the question, "I don't know, have you?"
Months later, Klobuchar announced her candidacy for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president, ultimately picking up seven delegates during the primaries. She dropped out one day before Super Tuesday and endorsed Joe Biden.
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In June 2020, she asked Biden to select a woman of color as his running mate, withdrawing her name from any possible shortlist. "If you want to heal this nation right now ... this is a hell of a way to do it," she said during an appearance on MSNBC.
Klobuchar is currently running for reelection to a fourth term in Senate.
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