What to Know
- Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has a common form of skin cancer that is usually caused by too much exposure to the sun.
- Hogan was diagnosed with a more serious cancer months after taking office, but is in remission.
- Hogan will have a small procedure over the weekend and expects to be back at work on Monday.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced Thursday that he has a common form of skin cancer.
"Last week, you may have noticed some bandages and small spots on my face - I had some sun-damaged skin removed by my doctor. They sent it off to be tested and it turns out these spots contain basal and squamous cancer cells," he said on Twitter.
Both forms of cancer are very common: the American Cancer Society says 3.3 million Americans will be diagnosed with basal and squamous cancer every year.
Hogan, who is in remission after treatment for another form of cancer, said he will undergo treatment over the weekend, the governor said.
After a procedure known as Mohs surgery, Hogan will likely be cured and won't face any long-term health consequences, Hogan's dermatologist, Beth G. Diamond, said in a letter.
Hogan expects to be back at work on Monday.
"It is my goal to use this as a learning opportunity for all Marylanders, especially the young ones out there, and encourage them to use sunscreen," he said on Twitter.
"When I was younger, I didn’t take care of myself in the sun like I should have – I was a lifeguard and spent a lot of time in the sun without protection," he said.
Just five months into his term, Hogan discovered he had B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He underwent serious treatments including 30 days of non-stop chemotherapy and multiple surgeries and reaffirmed he was cancer-free in September, News4 reported.
His skin cancer is unrelated to his lymphoma diagnosis, which is still in remission, according to a spokesperson.
