Bob Dole Diagnosed with Stage Four Lung Cancer

Former United States Senator and presidential nominee Bob Dole announced Thursday he has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and will begin treatment next week.

“Recently, I was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer,” Dole said in a statement shared on social media. “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.”

STATEMENT BY SENATOR BOB DOLE ON HEALTH CHALLENGES pic.twitter.com/ndRxqNWb30

— Senator Bob Dole (@SenatorDole) February 18, 2021

Dole, the 97-year-old former Kansas senator who also served in WWII, drew the attention of millions of Americans when he received assistance to stand from his wheelchair to pay respect and salute former President George H.W. Bush as he laid in state at the Capitol Rotunda after his passing in 2018.

Dole later discussed his salute of former President George H.W. Bush’s casket and said the salute wasn’t something he thought of in advance. Instead, he insisted “it was almost automatic.”

Dole, who served in the U.S. Senate from 1969 to 1996, is also the second-oldest former living United States Senator, trailing former Sen. James L. Buckley (R) by a mere 135 days. He was also the Republican presidential nominee in the 1996 election and the vice presidential nominee in the 1976 election.