Pennsylvania Sen. Casey to undergo prostate cancer surgery

FILE - U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., speaks before President Joe Biden at a campaign rally for Pennsylvania's Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro and Democratic Senate candidate Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Nov. 5, 2022, in Philadelphia. Casey said Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, that he will undergo surgery for prostate cancer but is expected to make a full recovery. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania said Thursday that he will undergo surgery for prostate cancer but is expected to make a full recovery.

Casey, 62, said in a statement that he was diagnosed last month.

“While this news came as a shock, I can report that I have an excellent prognosis, as well as the benefit of exceptional medical care and the unwavering support of my family.”

He said he will undergo surgery in the coming months and is confident that treatment will allow him to continue working in the Senate “with minimal disruption.”

Casey, serving his third term, has not said whether he will run for a fourth term in 2024, a year when Democrats face a difficult Senate map.

At 16 years in the Senate, Casey is already the longest-serving Democratic U.S. senator in Pennsylvania history.

Casey is a key ally of labor unions and President Joe Biden. In Congress, Casey has backed all of Biden’s top priorities and forged a close relationship with the president, at least in part because they share the same hometown of Scranton.

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