Louisiana Republican and Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Tuesday he had been diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer but planned to return to Washington to continue working while undergoing treatment in the coming months.
Scalise, 57, said in a statement that he had begun treatment for multiple myeloma, which he described as “a highly treatable blood cancer,” after feeling ill during congressional recess in August and undergoing tests that led to his diagnosis.
It came at a crucial time for Mr. Scalise, who is known for his ability to speak to the far-right faction of the fractured Republican conference and who will play a vital role in the House of Representatives in the coming months, giving Congress the opportunity to faces a government shutdown on October 1. Lawmakers are still a long way from agreeing on the levels of spending that would keep the government running in the long run. The House of Representatives left Washington last month for a six-week summer recess, which was far from reaching an agreement on 11 of the 12 appropriation bills yet to pass, paralyzed by internal divisions over spending and social issues.
Mr. Scalise, who previously served as the Republican whip, is expected to play a vital role in negotiations with members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, who threaten to force a shutdown unless their priorities are addressed.
Mr. Scalise was seriously injured in 2017 when a gunman opened fire on members of the Congressional Republican baseball team at a practice field in Alexandria, Virginia. He was shot in the hip and underwent many surgeries to relearn how to walk, making him almost fully mobile. .
“I am incredibly grateful that we were able to discover this so early and that this cancer is treatable,” Scalise said in a statement Tuesday. “I will tackle this with the same vigor and energy with which I tackled previous challenges.”
Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has had a strained relationship with Mr Scalise, said in a statement that he spoke to his number 2 on Tuesday and found him in good spirits.
“Nothing — not a gunshot wound and certainly not cancer — will stop him from achieving what he sets his mind to,” California Republican McCarthy said in a statement.
In multiple myeloma, certain healthy blood cells become cancerous, shedding abnormal proteins that can cause problems and crowd out cells needed to fight infection.
It is a relatively uncommon cancer estimated to be diagnosed in about 35,000 people in the United States each year, with men and black people being more common. About 60 percent of patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma in recent years survived the effects of their cancer for at least five years, although the survival rate depends on how far the cancer has spread.
Patients may experience more frequent infections and bone and kidney problems, but there are a number of treatment options that depend on how fast the cancer is growing. These include immunotherapy, which helps the body’s immune system attack cancer cells, chemotherapy, and corticosteroids.
Some patients are also eligible for a stem cell transplant. Drug treatment is first used to reduce the number of cancer cells in the body and then unhealthy blood-forming stem cells are replaced with healthy ones.
These treatments can range from bearable to grueling. The most common side effect is fatigue, doctors say, debilitating some patients while allowing others to continue working full time. Patients who already have poor heart health are particularly prone to fatigue.
Treatments that suppress patients’ immune systems also leave them vulnerable to infections that themselves require prompt treatment. Immunotherapy drugs often carry the risk of painful nerve damage, and chemotherapy can cause nausea and mouth sores, although doctors may prescribe medications to address certain side effects.
On Tuesday, Republicans were quick to offer Scalise their public support and emphasize his resilience.
“Steve is as tough and friendly as they can get, and he’s beaten so many unbeatable odds,” Representative Elise Stefanik, Republican of New York, said in a statement. “We know he will fight the next battle with the same determination.”
“Steve is a fighter, and we support him as he faces this final battle,” North Carolina Republican Rep. Patrick T. McHenry said in a statement.
