Jamie Raskin, US House Representative from Maryland’s 8th Congressional district and a member of the Jan 6 committee, said on Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with cancer.
The attorney-turned-politician specified his diagnosis saying that after “several days of tests”, it was found that he had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma – a form of cancer that is “serious but curable”.
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“With the benefit of early detection and fine doctors, the help of my extraordinary staff, the love of Sarah and our daughters and sons-in-law (actual and to-be) and family and friends, and the support of my beloved constituents and my colleagues in the House, I plan to get through this and, in the meantime, to keep making progress every day in Congress for American democracy,” he said in a statement.
What is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma?
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, or DLBCL, is a type of cancer that affects the lymphocytes in the white blood cells in humans.
It typically develops in lymph nodes, the pea-sized immune system glands in the neck, groin, armpits, and other places. It may also manifest elsewhere in the body. DLBCL spreads quickly, but 3 out of 4 patients get complete remission after treatment, and roughly half are cured.
Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s are the two kinds of lymphomas. The most prevalent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is DLBCL and DLBCL comes in a variety of forms. They act, develop, and react to treatment in diverse ways.
Raskin will be undergoing a “course of chemo-immunotherapy on an outpatient basis” and said that the prognosis for his stage of lymphoma was “excellent” after four months of treatment.
“I expect to be able to work through this period but have been cautioned by my doctors to reduce unnecessary exposure to avoid COVID-19, the flu and other viruses,” Raskin added.
