Lewis, 79, said he was diagnosed following a routine medical visit with subsequent tests that reconfirmed the diagnosis. The long-time Georgia congressman will undergo treatment for the cancer.
He continued later: “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, who is in his 17th term as a member of Congress, is vowing to continue his work, stating that he’ll return to Washington in the coming days to begin his treatment plan, which will last several weeks.
“I may miss a few votes during this period, but with God’s grace I will be back on the front lines soon,” he said.
Lewis has represented Georgia’s 5th Congressional District, which includes much of Atlanta, since first being elected in 1986.
“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 said Sunday.
Stage 4 pancreatic cancer is considered advanced, meaning it has spread to other parts of the body, such as the bones, lungs or liver. The average patient diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer will live for about one year after diagnosis, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Three percent of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer are still alive five years later, the American Cancer Society said.
Late-stage pancreatic cancer is typically treated with chemotherapy, which can last for several months, and sometimes immunotherapy. A new chemo cocktail was developed about 10 years ago and there have been some advances in immunotherapy, which stimulates the immune system to fight cancer. Either or both can improve survival, but typically only by months, not years.
“Nowadays, some people with stage 4 are living sometimes as long as two or three years, but that’s an exceptional responder,” said Dr. Otis Brawley, a professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins Medicine and former chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society who has not treated Lewis. Brawley has not treated Lewis.
Chemo for pancreatic cancer is “toxic” and kills both the cancer cells and healthy cells that are fast-growing, said Dr. Marty Makary, a pancreatic cancer surgeon and professor at Johns Hopkins Medicine. There are targeted therapies for other cancers, such as lymphoma and melanoma, but not pancreatic.
“Overall, we’re not doing very well in cracking this tumor type,” Makary said, referring to stage 4 pancreatic cancer in general. “Early detection still remains very challenging, and chemo for pancreatic cancer remains broad and non-specific.”
“John, know that generations of Americans have you in their thoughts & prayers as you face this fight. We are all praying that you are comfortable,” Pelosi, a California Democrat, said. “We know that you will be well.”
“I know racism when I see it. I know racism when I feel it. And at the highest level of government, there’s no room for racism,” he said.
“It sows the seeds of violence and destroys the hopes and dreams of people. The world is watching. They are shocked and dismayed because it seems we have lost our way as a nation, as a proud and great people.”
This story has been updated with additional developments Sunday.
CNN’s Kevin Bohn, Raymond Arke, Gregory Krieg and Dana Bash contributed to this report.
Source : CNN