NJ Gov. Phil Murphy Says Tumor Found, Likely Has Cancer (UPDATE)

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Saturday that he has a tumor on his kidney, and he will undergo surgery in March to remove it. He learned that there is a 90 percent chance that it's cancer.

Murphy, 62, announced on Twitter that he has a tumor on his left kidney and will undergo a partial nephrectomy in early March.

"The prognosis is very good and I’m profoundly grateful to my doctors for detecting the tumor early," Murphy said.

Murphy, who took office in January 2018, noted that more than 50,000 New Jerseyans will hear the words “you have cancer” this year, "so I’m far from alone here."

"It’s a situation that far too many families find themselves in," he said. "That’s why we’re fighting for them each and every day."

Murphy then used the opportunity to discuss health care, saying it is "a right, not a privilege for a select few, and skyrocketing medical costs are a national emergency."

"If there’s anything my diagnosis reminds me of, it’s that preventative services are lifesaving and we need to continue fighting for affordable health care for all," he said.

This is a developing story. Patch will have more information as it comes in.