Harry Reid has surgery to remove tumor from pancreas
Family of the former Senate Democratic leader say Reid will have chemotherapy and his prognosis is good; chief congressional correspondent Mike Emanuel reports from Capitol Hill.
Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is currently being treated for pancreatic cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. The former Democratic senator from Nevada underwent surgery Monday to remove a tumor from his pancreas, Reid's family confirmed in a statement.
“His doctors caught the problem early during a routine screening and his surgeons are confident that the surgery was a success and that the prognosis for his recovery is good," the statement adds.
Reid's family said he'll undergo chemoptherapy as part of his treatment. His surgery was successful and Reid was "in good spirits" and "resting" with his family afterward.
"He is grateful to his highly skilled team of doctors and to all who have sent and continue to send their love and support," his family adds.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he spoke with Reid's family after the operation.
"Spoken to family and it seems @SenatorReid's operation went well. We are all praying for dear Harry’s speedy recovery," he tweeted Monday afternoon.
Reid retired from the Senate at the end of 2016 after a 30-year career in politics. He announced that he would not seek re-election in March 2015 — months after undergoing two rounds of eye surgery following a calamitous, New Year’s Day exercise accident at his Nevada home.
The accident happened when an elastic exercise band broke, striking Reid in the face and causing him to fall, his spokesman Adam Jentleson said. Reid struck some equipment as he fell, breaking multiple bones near his right eye and breaking several ribs.
A former marathon runner, Reid dislocated a shoulder and suffered a contusion above his left eye when he slipped and fell after an early morning run in the rain back in May 2011. In October 2012, he suffered rib and hip contusions in a chain-reaction car crash.
Nevada's longest-serving senator helped propel the passage of President Barack Obama's signature health care law, blocked the development of a nuclear waste dump in Nevada and built a well-organized Democratic machine in the state.
The 78-year-old currently serves alongside former Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, as co-chair of the MGM Resorts International Public Policy Institute.
Some of Reid's colleagues took to Twitter Monday to share their support for the congressional veteran.
"From one cantankerous senator to another, sending my prayers & best wishes to @SenatorReid as he recovers from a successful surgery," Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, tweeted.
"Harry Reid is as tough as nails. When he fights, he fights with everything he’s got. I’m confident his battle with cancer is no different. My thoughts are with him and his family and I’m hoping for his full recovery," Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., wrote.
"My thoughts are with @SenatorReid and his family. I'm praying for successful treatment and a speedy recovery," Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Mass., echoed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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