Former Sen. Norm Coleman says cancer has returned

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman says he is being treated for stage 4 lung cancer.

The 68-year-old Republican discussed his condition Tuesday in a posting on Facebook.

The announcement comes about two and a half years after he was diagnosed with throat and neck cancer. Coleman underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation after his initial diagnosis. He had eventually been pronounced cancer-free.

Coleman says he has never felt in better shape and his “hopes and prayers are for a very long time.”

Coleman served a single term in the U.S. Senate before being defeated by Democratic Sen. Al Franken in 2008, in a race that required a months-long recount. Coleman is now a lobbyist in Washington.