Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former Trump White House press secretary, announced Friday that she had been diagnosed with and treated for thyroid cancer.
“During a check-up earlier this month, my doctor ordered a biopsy on an area of concern in my neck and the test revealed that I had thyroid cancer,” In a statement, the 40-year-old Sanders, the GOP gubernatorial candidate, said.
“Today, I underwent a successful surgery to remove my thyroid and surrounding lymph nodes and by the grace of God I am now cancer-free,” she continued.
Dr. John Sims, a surgeon at CARTI Cancer Center located in Little Rock, stated that Sanders was being treated for Stage I papillary thyroid carcinoma.
“Sarah is currently recovering from surgery in which we removed her thyroid gland and some of the surrounding lymph nodes in her neck,” he stated.
“The surgery went extremely well, and I expect her to be back on her feet even within the next 24 hours.”
Her diagnosis is “the most common type of thyroid cancer and has an excellent prognosis.”
“While she will need adjuvant treatment with radioactive iodine, as well as continued long-term follow-up, I think it’s fair to say she’s now cancer free, and I don’t anticipate any of this slowing her down,” Dr. Sims stated.
In the meantime, the mother of three pledged to return to campaigning “soon.”
“I want to thank the Arkansas doctors and nurses for their world-class care, as well as my family and friends for their love, prayers, and support,” she said.
“I look forward to returning to the campaign trail soon. This experience has been a reminder that whatever battle you may be facing, don’t lose heart. As governor, I will never quit fighting for the people of our great state.”
Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, is anticipated to win against Democrat Chris Jones in the Nov. 8 election. It has been six years since Arkansas last elected a Democratic governor.
After working as a senior adviser to the Republican Party’s successful 2016 presidential campaign, she became a member of President Trump’s White House team in 2017. She served as Sean Spicer’s deputy press secretary for several months and then assumed the position of press secretary in July 2017. She held the post for two years before handing it down in July 2019, and she subsequently joined Fox News as a contributor.
