U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee announced Friday that she is free of breast cancer after being diagnosed last year.
In a statement released Friday, the Houston Democrat said that she recently finished her last course of treatment at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The treatment, she said in the statement, included surgery, chemotherapy, radiation "and other effects including loss of hair."
"I look forward to having many more years to enjoy my family, friends and to serve our community and nation," said Jackson Lee, 62. "I now intend to be an even more vigorous advocate and supporter for cancer research and improved care."
Jackson Lee did not return calls seeking comment.
State Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, who called the congresswoman "a dear friend," said rumors floated within political circles in recent months that Jackson Lee was dealing with a health issue, and most assumed it was cancer.
Ellis said he called Jackson Lee about five months ago and told her he was praying for her and that if the rumors were true, she should slow down and concentrate on getting well. He said she thanked him for his call but did not confirm the rumor.
Urges detection
In the statement, Jackson Lee said she introduced legislation earlier this year to support research for triple-negative breast cancer.
"I would like to take this opportunity to urge all women to learn about this disease and participate in preventative measures, so that you can detect it early and increase your odds of survival," Jackson Lee said.
According to Dr. Angel Rodriguez, a breast medical oncologist at Methodist Cancer Center in Houston, triple negative, or basal-like breast cancer, is a subtype of breast cancer that makes up 15 percent to 20 percent of all breast cancers in the United States. Although anyone can get triple negative breast cancer, he noted, it occurs more often in younger women, African-American women and Hispanic women.
Rodriguez, who is not involved in the congresswoman's treatment, directs the hospital's Triple Negative Breast Cancer Clinic. He said the name refers to the absence of any one of three "receptors" known to fuel most breast cancers.
"It's the most aggressive form of breast cancer, the most difficult to treat and the most likely that the cancer will come back," Rodriguez said. "If it comes back, it comes back within the first three or four years."
Staff thanked for care
Jackson Lee is running unopposed for her 10th term representing the 18th Congressional District.
In her statement, she thanked "the medical professionals, including St. Luke's Hospital, for the care and privacy they have given me."
joe.holley@chron.com
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