Longtime Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, she announced on social media Sunday, adding that she expects to be “occasionally absent from Congress” as she undergoes treatment.
“My doctors have confirmed my diagnosis of pancreatic cancer,” Jackson Lee wrote in a letter shared on X. “I am currently undergoing treatment to battle this disease that impacts tens of thousands of Americans every year.”
Jackson Lee, 74, has served Texas’s 18th Congressional District since 1995. Throughout her career she has sponsored legislation on issues such as police reform, sentencing laws, safe gun storage and white-supremacy-motivated hate crimes.
Jackson Lee also sponsored legislation that led to Juneteenth being recognized as a federal holiday in 2021;that same year, she was arrested during nonviolent protests that called for the protection of voting rights.
Last year, Jackson Lee announced she would seek a 16th term in the House after losing a bid to become Houston’s first Black female mayor. She won the Democratic primary on Super Tuesday earlier this year.
“As a member of Congress, I’ve been honored to be one of the leaders in the fight for justice and equality for all,” Jackson Lee wrote on Sunday. “Today, my fight is more personal, but I will approach it with the same faith and courage.”
Pancreatic cancer accounts for about 3 percent of all cancers in the United States. About 66,440 people are estimated to be diagnosed with it this year, according to the American Cancer Society. Generally considered an aggressive form of cancer, the disease does not often present symptoms during its early stages.
People with pancreatic cancer may experience jaundice, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite and pain in the back or abdomen. The disease can also cause blood clots and diabetes as well as gallbladder or liver enlargement.
Jackson Lee did not specify the type or severity of her pancreatic cancer, but said she is confident her medical team has developed “the best possible” treatment plan.
“The road ahead will not be easy, but I stand in faith that God will strengthen me,” she said.