Republican Senator From Wyoming Diagnosed With Leukemia

No gloating over this. Its a tragedy for everyone.

Sen. Craig Thomas, hospitalized since Monday with pneumonia, began treatment for leukemia on Thursday, his spokesman said.

The Wyoming Republican, who was easily elected to a third term while in the hospital, fell ill in church in Casper on Sunday and was taken by ambulance to Wyoming Medical Center. He and his wife, Susan, flew back to Washington later in the day.

Thomas, 73, canceled campaign events Monday and was admitted to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., that evening, his spokesman Cameron Hardy said Thursday.

While hospitalized, doctors noticed a low white blood cell count, and a bone marrow biopsy revealed leukemia, cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Thomas began a four- to six-week course of chemotherapy Thursday, Hardy said.

Thomas planned to remain at the hospital to reduce his risk of infection.

"I am joining all of the thousands and thousands of other cancer survivors in Wyoming," Thomas said in a statement. "I certainly didn't expect this diagnosis, but I will be back by the January session ready for full service in the new Congress."

Thomas was found to have acute myeloid leukemia, the most common form of the disease.

(read more)