U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro underwent surgery Monday to remove cancerous gastrointestinal tumors, according to his congressional office.
The successful treatment took place at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
“My prognosis is good,” Castro said in a statement. “I expect to be home recovering in Texas for several weeks before returning to Washington to continue my work on behalf of the people of my hometown, San Antonio.”
Castro’s office said he discovered the tumors last summer while in Spain for a meeting of the United States-Spain Council, a nonprofit government relations group he chaired.
During the trip the San Antonio Democrat was in a car that collided with a wild boar, according to his office. Though he wasn’t injured, he was taken to the hospital for an MRI, which revealed early signs of the tumors.
When he returned home, doctors performed a series of tests and discovered small, slow-growing and mostly asymptomatic tumors.
Castro, 48, plans to return to work before Congress’ mid-April work period, his office said.
“Thank you to the doctors, nurses, and medical staff at MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio for their care and treatment and thank you to my family for their love and support,” Castro stated.
Castro has represented Texas’ 20th Congressional District since 2013 and previously served in the state House of Representatives for 10 years.
