Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland announced Wednesday that he had been diagnosed with diffuse large B cell lymphoma, a serious but curable form of cancer.
The Congressman will begin outpatient treatment this week at Med Star Georgetown University Hospital and Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
During an interview with MSNBC Wednesday night, Raskin said his prognosis is excellent if he takes well to the chemotherapy and completes all the sessions.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) has announced that he is isolating himself after being exposed to Covid-19.
The congressman stated that he would continue to serve and work on the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol attack and his new role as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee while in isolation.
He also noted that he has been advised by his doctors to minimize exposure to the virus.
“I plan to get through this and, in the meantime, to keep making progress every day in Congress for American democracy,” Raskin said in a statement.
The American Cancer Society has reported that Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) has a tendency to grow rapidly and is usually treated with a four-drug chemotherapy regimen delivered in cycles of three weeks.
The prognosis is good, with up to half of patients being cured; however, this depends on the stage at which the disease is discovered.