Minn. governor says he has prostate cancer
ST. PAUL, MINN. — Minnes o t a G o v. Ma r k D a y t o n announced Tuesday that he has prostate cancer, revealing the diagnosis hours after collapsing while delivering his State of the State address the night before.
T h e 6 9 -ye a r- o l d De moc ratic governor said he plans to finish the final two years of his term, during which he faces a unified GOP front after Republicans took control of the Senate and strengthened their House majority in November.
Asked whether he still felt up to the job, Dayton said: “I think I am. If I don’t, I won’t continue.”
He also said he doesn’t believe the recent cancer diagnosis and his fainting were linked. Tests on what caused Dayton to collapse were scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. He will return to Mayo next week to determine treatment for the prostate cancer.
“I take it very seriously. I have an obligation to all of the people of Minnesota,” he said.
Dayton, who turns 70 on Thursday, has had other health issues since taking office in 2011. A series of back and hip surgeries have left him with a limp, though he said Tuesday he’s no longer in pain. He was briefly hospitalized last year after fainting at a campaign event, later blaming the episode on overheating and dehydration.
Dayton was about 40 minutes into his annual address Monday night when he began stumbling over his words and trailed off, shaking after taking a sip of water and crumbling behind the lectern, where he struck his head.
S e v e r a l s t a t e o f f i c i a l s rushed to his side to catch him, and medical professionals serving in the Legislature gave aid.
He appeared conscious as he was helped to a back room and later walked out of the Capitol on his own to return home, where a top staffer said he was given routine tests by emergency medical technicians.
Dayton returned to work Tuesday to unveil his proposal for a $45.8 billion budget. He told reporters that he felt fine Monday until about a minute before losing consciousness.
Dayton said he was diagnosed with prostate cancer Friday after a biopsy and had planned to reveal it after his consultation next week. He said doctors believe the cancer hasn’t spread past his prostate, suggesting it was caught early, and that it would likely be treated with either surgery or radiation.