Former United States Senator Bob Dole at a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery | May 28, 2018 (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks, via Flickr).
Men’s Health Network (MHN), a national DC-based non-profit that advocates for the health and well-being of men, boys, and their families, extends our best wishes for a speedy recovery to former Senator and Presidential Candidate Bob Dole (R-Kan.), who announced on Thursday that he has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.
“My first treatment will begin on Monday. While I certainly have some hurdles ahead, I also know that I join millions of Americans who face significant health challenges of their own,” Dole said in a statement.
STATEMENT BY SENATOR BOB DOLE ON HEALTH CHALLENGES pic.twitter.com/ndRxqNWb30
— Senator Bob Dole (@SenatorDole) February 18, 2021
Dole, 97, was also diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1991. Since his diagnosis, the former senator has been an advocate for the health and well-being of men, and told The Washington Post that early cancer detection was critical in saving his life. He later went on to write an editorial for that news outlet, which expressed the desire for all men to come forward with their struggles battling the disease.
Alongside Congressman Bill Richardson (D-NM), Dole played a major role in the passage of Men’s Health Week (MHW) in 1994, which was signed by President Bill Clinton.
“[Senator Bob Dole] was a pleasure to work with, and because of his great leadership, MHW has been expanded to now include all of June as Men’s Health Month, which is now recognized with over 400 proclamations from Governors, Mayors, and leaders of Native American Communities,”said Ana Fadich Tomsic, MPH, CHES, Vice President of MHN. “Dole’s groundbreaking Washington Post editorial about his battle with prostate cancer brought that devastating health diagnosis out in the open, encouraging men across the country to talk about their own fight against prostate cancer and encouraging all men to get regular screenings for this terrible disease. We wish Senator Dole all the best for a successful recovery.”
Dole is no stranger to a challenge. A decorated World War II veteran, Dole served eight years in the house, 27 years in the senate, and was the Republican nominee for President in 1996. He ran for President three times, and was also the vice-presidential nominee in 1976 alongside President Gerald Ford.
Dole was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1997, and a Congressional Gold Medal in 2018.
