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U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Michigan, took a break from his congressional duties after a tiny tumor was found in one of his tonsils during a scan, his office reported last Friday.

Kildee, who represents the 8th Congressional District covering Flint, Saginaw, and Midland, initially did a scan for an inflamed lymph node after consulting with his doctors. Afterward, he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, which his office states is “serious but treatable.”

In a statement, Kildee said, “Thankfully, I detected it very early. With exceptional medical professionals and early detection, they found a small tumor in one of my tonsils.” He indicated that he would have the cancer removed in the following weeks and that his physicians had instructed him that he would need another few weeks to recuperate from the surgery before resuming his work in Congress.

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64-year-old Kildee has been a congressman since 2013, when he succeeded his late uncle Dale. He was a member of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership team, serving as the chief deputy whip, and is a member of the influential Ways and Means Committee, which establishes tax policies.

Before being elected to Congress, Kildee spent several years serving in local government in Flint and Genesee County. As a congressman, he has helped secure millions of dollars in federal funding to assist in resolving the Flint water crisis, has fought to restore pensions for former Delphi salaried employees, and has advocated for new federal drinking water standards.

Approximately 5.4 million basal and squamous cell cancers are diagnosed in the United States each year, according to the American Cancer Society. Basal cell cancers make up the bulk of these diagnoses, accounting for about 80%, while squamous cell diagnoses are uncommon.

Free Press Washington Bureau Chief Todd Spangler contributed to the report.

Contact Arpan Lobo: [email protected].
Follow him on Twitter @arpanlobo.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US Rep. Dan Kildee announces ‘serious but curable’ cancer diagnosis