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Sen. Bob Casey undergoes surgery for prostate cancer

A spokesperson said the Pennsylvania Democrat expects to return to "a normal schedule after a period of rest and recovery."
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.Jake Danna Stevens / The Times-Tribune via AP file

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., underwent surgery for prostate cancer Tuesday, just over a month after he revealed his diagnosis.

A spokesperson said that the surgery was performed Tuesday afternoon and that Casey planned to return to the Senate in the near future.

“His doctor reports that, as expected, the procedure went well and he confirmed that the Senator should not require further treatment," Mairéad Lynn said in a statement.

"Senator Casey and his family appreciate the well-wishes and extraordinary support from every corner of the Commonwealth, and he looks forward to getting back to a normal schedule after a period of rest and recovery,” Lynn added.

Casey's absence from the Senate comes shortly after a fellow Pennsylvania Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman, spent a couple of days in the hospital for tests and observation last week after he felt lightheaded. A spokesperson Fetterman, 53, who had a stroke in May, said Thursday that doctors ruled out a new stroke after they reviewed his MRI results.

Casey said last month that learning he had cancer "came as a shock." In announcing plans to undergo surgery in the coming months, he said at the time that he was "confident" that his recommended treatment would permit him to continue serving in Congress "with minimal disruption."

Casey, 62, was first elected to the Senate in 2006 and secured re-election in 2012 and 2018 even as the state swung between Republicans and Democrats in presidential contests. He is up for re-election next year.