Mar 23, 2007 11:57 am US/Eastern
Tony Snow To Have Surgery To Remove Growth
WASHINGTON (CBS) ―
Presidential spokesman Tony Snow is undergoing surgery Monday to remove a small growth in his lower abdomen, a procedure he said was being done "out of an aggressive sense of caution" because he had colon cancer two years ago.
He said Friday that cancer tests have been negative since the growth -- about the size of the tip of his small finger -- was discovered in his lower right pelvic area, but that doctors decided to remove it to be sure.
"Please do not leap to conclusions about this because we don't know what this is," Snow told reporters. "We know it's coming out and I know I'll be back soon."
Snow, 51, had his colon removed in 2005 and underwent six months of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with colon cancer. He and his wife have three young children.
The press secretary said he had undergone a series of internal scans, including a PET imaging scan to help doctors see how organs and tissues are functioning. He also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests, and CAT scans to generate cross-sectional views and, if needed, three-dimensional images.
These scans revealed the growth. Blood tests and further PET scans have not indicated a return of his cancer.
"Out of an aggressive sense of caution I'm going to go in for surgery," he said.
Snow joked about Monday's surgery, saying he would "come back here a little lighter" than before. It's not a minor procedure, however, and will keep Snow away from the White House for several weeks, in the hospital for about a week and at home recovering after that.
Deputy press secretary Dana Perino will assume Snow's duties in his absence.
The news came a day after Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, announced that her breast cancer has returned in an incurable, but treatable, form. Her husband's campaign will go forward.
"The biggest problem you have sometimes with cancer is flat-out fear," Snow said. "When you see an Elizabeth Edwards saying, `I'm going to embrace life and I'm going to move forward,' that is a wonderful thing."
Snow was appointed as White House press secretary in April of 2006.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
