US House representative John Garamendi announces he has cancer

California Congressman John Garamendi announced Monday that he has cancer."Like 1.9 million Americans each year, I recently received the dreaded call from my doctor informing me that I had cancer," Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, said on X, explaining that he managed to detect it early.Garamendi said after a routine blood test, his doctor told him he needed to return to take a series of tests. That's when he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. According to the Mayo Clinic, it's when cancer cells crowd out healthy blood cells in bone marrow, leading to complications.The congressman said he is now on his journey to remission, which involves chemoimmunotherapy."With the benefit of early detection and excellent doctors, the love and support of Patti and my entire family, the help of my extraordinary staff and colleagues in Congress, I know that I'll get through this while continuing to serve my extraordinary constituents and advance the American democracy," Garamendi said.He went on to praise California's efforts to advance stem cell research to assist with cancer-related therapies.Garamendi also said that while he plans to continue working, his doctors cautioned him not to overexert himself to avoid contracting complications such as COVID-19 or the flu.The U.S. representative represents California's eighth congressional district, which includes parts of Contra Costa and Solano counties.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.