Rep.Sheila Jackson Lee Announces She Has Pancreatic Cancer

Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat representing Texas’ 18th Congressional District, announced Sunday that she has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

The 74-year-old said it is “likely” that she will be “occasionally absent from ” as she undergoes treatment, but she assured constituents that her office “will continue to deliver the vital constituent services that you deserve and expect,” in a statement shared with ESSENCE via email.

“I am confident that my doctors have developed the best possible plan to target my specific disease,” she said. “The road ahead will not be easy, but I stand in faith that God will strengthen me.”

Jackson Lee’s district includes parts of Houston, and she has served as its representative for almost 30 years. She serves on the Judiciary, Homeland Security and Budget committees.

Over a decade ago, in 2012, Jackson Lee revealed that she had been treated for breast cancer with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation and had made a full recovery. Her work in Congress has included increasing funding for breast cancer research by millions of dollars since then.

“Please keep me and my family in your prayers as you have always done,” she said in the release. “Know that you will remain in mine.”