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Sen. Amy Klobuchar reveals she underwent treatment for early-stage breast cancer this year

September 9, 2021 at 1:06 p.m. EDT
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in 2019. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) revealed Thursday that she underwent treatment for early-stage breast cancer this year, including a lumpectomy and radiation treatment.

In a Medium post, Klobuchar, 61, said her doctors determined in August that the treatment went well and that her “chances of developing cancer again are no greater than the average person.”

Klobuchar, who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, also urged Americans not to put off routine health screenings due to the coronavirus pandemic, noting that “doctors are seeing patients who are being treated for more serious conditions that could have been caught earlier.”

“It’s easy to put off health screenings, just like I did,” Klobuchar said. “But I hope my experience is a reminder for everyone of the value of routine health checkups, exams, and follow-through. I am so fortunate to have caught the cancer at an early enough stage and to not need chemotherapy or other extensive treatments, which unfortunately is not the case for so many others.”

Klobuchar thanked her doctors, friends and family for their support during her surgery and radiation treatment, which she noted coincided with the illness and death of her father, Jim, a well-known journalist in Minneapolis.

“Their support allowed me to continue my work with my colleagues on major pandemic and economic legislation, as well as chairing the joint Senate January 6 investigation and the For the People hearings while undergoing cancer treatment,” she said.

Klobuchar, who was elected to the Senate in 2006, is chairman of the Senate Rules Committee.

In an interview with ABC News Thursday morning, Klobuchar said that her message to others who face similar challenges is, “Reach out to those that you love, and people will surprise you in how they will help you.”

“I’d say, know that people have your back,” Klobuchar told “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts, who is also a breast cancer survivor. “As much as [there is] going on right now in our country, there’s still people who want to help, who want to be there. . . . Continue to follow your dreams and purpose, but know that people have your back.”

“If even 10 more people get exams because they watched you, this interview today, Robin, will make this all worth it,” she added.

“No, they’re watching you, Senator Amy Klobuchar,” Roberts responded. “It’s your story.”