Former Trump White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders revealed Friday that she had undergone surgery in Arkansas to treat 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,” the 40-year-old Sanders, the Republican candidate for governor of the state, said in a statement.
“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 added.
Dr. John Sims, a surgeon at CARTI Cancer Center in Little Rock, said Sanders was 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 said in a statement.
“The surgery went extremely well, and I expect her to be back on her feet even within the next 24 hours.”
He added that 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 said.
Meanwhile, the mother of three vowed to get back on the campaign trail “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 in her statement.
“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 favored to defeat Democrat Chris Jones in the Nov. 8 election. Arkansas has not elected a Democratic governor since 2010.
Sanders joined the Trump White House in 2017 after working as a senior adviser to the Republican’s successful 2016 presidential campaign. She initially served as deputy press secretary under Sean Spicer and took over as press secretary in July 2017. She stayed in the role for two years before stepping down in July 2019 and later went to work for Fox News as a contributor.