PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN 6) — Governor John Kitzhaber has skin cancer, KOIN 6 News confirmed.
Doctors found a pea-sized tumor on the left cheek of the governor, who will turn 68 in March. The cancer is a slow-growing form caused mainly from too much direct sunlight.
This type of cancer, basal cell carcinoma, only becomes life-threatening if it’s not treated.
The governor’s office said Kitzhaber will likely have outpatient surgery to remove the tumor sometime within the next few months. It is not expected to have a major effect on his day-to-day duties as governor.
