Former Senator Ben Sasse Reveals Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis
On Tuesday, former Senator Ben Sasse made a poignant announcement: he has been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer.
The Nebraska Republican took to X, where he shared a detailed social media post disclosing that he had received the grim news just a week prior.
“Advanced pancreatic cancer is notoriously brutal; it’s essentially a death sentence,” Sasse remarked. “But let’s face it, we all have our own ticking clocks, don’t we?”
Since retiring in 2023, Sasse transitioned to serve as the president of the University of Florida. He later stepped down from this role to prioritize spending time with his wife, Melissa, following her epilepsy diagnosis.
Even after leaving the presidency, Sasse continued to share his knowledge, teaching at the University of Florida’s Hamilton Center. His professional journey also included stints as a professor at the University of Texas, serving as an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, and leading Midland University.
In his recent post, Sasse reflected on the deepened bond with his wife and celebrated their children’s recent achievements and milestones.
“There’s never really a good moment to share that you’re facing a more accelerated timeline — but the Advent season might not be the worst,” Sasse stated. “As a Christian, this period leading up to Christmas serves as a reminder to align our hearts with hope for what lies ahead.”
Sasse expressed his commitment to more updates in the future, emphasizing, “I’m not going down without a fight,” as he prepares to undergo treatment.
“Death and the process of dying are not synonymous; the journey is still worth living. We’ve embraced a fair amount of gallows humor at home, and I’ve promised to make my contribution to this irreverent approach,” Sasse concluded.
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