Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer on Monday morning.
The surgery, carried out on Monday at Johns Hopkins cancer center, was to remove a tumor from his pancreas, according to a statement from Reid’s family.
Reid’s doctor spotted the problem early during a routine screening and surgeons are confident the operation was a success, the statement said.
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The operation was first reported by KLAS-TV journalist George Knapp on Twitter. Knapp noted that Reid, who retired from the Senate in 2017 after opting not to run for reelection, had kept his diagnosis “very quiet.”
Reid will undergo chemotherapy as the next part of his treatment, according to the statement.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) later said on Twitter that it seems the operation went well.
“We are all praying for dear Harry’s speedy recovery,” Schumer tweeted.
Reid served in the Senate for 30 years. Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto succeeded Reid in the Nevada Senate seat, while Schumer replaced him as Senate Democratic leader.
In 2015, Reid suffered broken ribs and facial bones after an exercising accident.
Jordain Carney contributed. Updated at 2:58 p.m.