Overview
- The 53-year-old former Nebraska senator said on X he was diagnosed last week with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer and wrote that he is “gonna die.”
- He acknowledged having less time than he would prefer, vowed not to go down without a fight, and cited recent advances in immunotherapy as a reason for hope.
- Sasse resigned from the Senate in 2023 to lead the University of Florida and stepped down in July 2024 to care for his wife, who has epilepsy after earlier aneurysm and strokes.
- Political figures including Vice President J.D. Vance, Sen. Deb Fischer, Rep. Jared Moskowitz and Rep. Don Bacon publicly offered support.
- Pancreatic cancer is frequently detected at an advanced stage and is among the deadliest cancers in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute.