Amy Klobuchar reveals she’s cancer free

Minnesota Democrat first revealed diagnosis earlier this year

Sen Amy Klobuchar in the US Capitol (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Sen Amy Klobuchar shared good news about her fight with breast cancer.

The Minnesota senator first revealed her diagnosis in a Medium post in September, when she explained that her stage 1 breast cancer had been discovered during a routine mammogram in February.

“After a number of other tests, I returned to Mayo and had a lumpectomy on the right breast which involved the removal of the cancer. In May, I completed a course of radiation treatment, and after additional follow-up visits, it was determined in August that the treatment went well,” she wrote at the time.

On Wednesday, Ms Klobuchar shared the news that she remained cancer-free after her first six-month exam.

“Good news to share: I got my results back from my first 6-month post-cancer exam & everything was clear. I'm so grateful to be healthy and thankful for my family, friends, and the incredible doctors and nurses who have helped me,” the senator wrote.

“And don't forget – schedule that mammogram today!” she added.

Breast cancer is the second-most leading cause of cancer in women, behind some types of skin cancer. In Minnesota, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that roughly 135 out of every 100,000 women will contract the disease.

Ms Klobuchar commented earlier this year that she was lucky to have caught the cancer in its early stages, so as to not require more invasive or debilitating treatments.

“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,” she wrote.

A member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Ms Klobuchar also ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, earning a dual endorsement alongside Sen Elizabeth Warren from The New York Times.

She later dropped days before Super Tuesday along with fellow moderate candidate Pete Buttigieg, now the secretary of Transportation, and like Mr Buttigieg endorsed President Joe Biden’s candidacy.