Retired Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa, has been diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of blood cancer that targets cells of the immune system, he said Wednesday.
Latham, 67, a nearly 20-year lawmaker, outlined the condition of his illness in a Facebook post Jan. 6.
“Recently, I was diagnosed with a form of lymphoma,” he said in the post. “We are working with a great team of doctors and have a treatment plan in place. I am very confident that with their help, I will beat this and be back to full speed soon.”
I have never lost an election & I'm not going to lose this battle either! Thanks for positive thoughts and prayers. pic.twitter.com/I7hIOdcVkl
— Tom Latham (@TomLatham) January 6, 2016
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Lymphoma refers to several types of blood cancers that develop in the lymph system — an important part of the immune system that includes the spleen, liver, and bone marrow, plus the hundreds of lymph nodes located throughout the body, according to the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.
There are many active types of lymphoma, and doctors classify them as “unique,” because they can begin almost anywhere in the body.
It is not clear whether Latham will receive treatment in Iowa or seek care outside of the state.
Latham grew up in rural north-central Iowa’s Franklin County, near Alexander, a town of fewer than 200 people.
He and his wife, Kathy, now call Clive home.
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In a formal address on Dec. 17, 2013, Latham became the third member of the House to announce his pending retirement on the same day, joining then-Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., and then-Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah.
In 2014, Latham was succeeded in Congress by Rep. David Young, a Republican from rural Van Meter, as a part of a national Republican wave.
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Young represents Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, which covers the Des Moines metro area and the state’s southwestern and central-western area, including Council Bluffs.
Latham’s announcement came exactly one year after Young was sworn into Congress.
Requests for comment fielded to Young’s staff by The Daily Iowan Wednesday evening were not immediately returned.
Latham previously told the DI a “golden opportunity” to serve his state came when former-Rep. Fred Grandy announced his intentions to leave his seat and run against Gov. Terry Branstad for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 1994.
While in office, Latham served Iowans in the state’s west; because of redistricting, he represented residents from Ames to Des Moines and Council Bluffs in the 3rd, 4th, and the now-former 5th Congressional Districts.
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While in Congress, Latham became good friends with former House Speaker John Boehner.
But aside from his and Boehner’s friendship, Latham kept an extremely low profile in Washington, rarely mentioned in news reports. Instead, he worked to exude a public front as a man who honed in on the agricultural influence and interests of his district.
Ending his website message on a positive note, Latham said: “I have never lost an election, and I am not going to lose this battle either. Thank you in advance for your positive thoughts and prayers. I want you to know I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.”