Former Sen. Ben Sasse Diagnosed with Stage-Four Pancreatic Cancer

Former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska announced Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer, a terminal illness that has metastasized throughout his body.

The 53-year-old Republican shared the news in a lengthy post on the social media platform X, writing that he learned of the diagnosis last week. "This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I'll cut to the chase," Sasse stated. "Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die." He described the disease as "nasty stuff" and a "death sentence," adding, "I've got less time than I'd prefer."

Sasse, who represented Nebraska in the Senate from 2015 to 2023, expressed determination to confront the illness head-on. "I'm not going down without a fight," he wrote. "One subpart of God's grace is found in the jaw-dropping advances science has made the past few years in immunotherapy and more." He emphasized that "death and dying aren't the same; the process of dying is still something to be lived," and noted his family's embrace of gallows humor amid the challenges. Sasse, a Christian, timed the announcement during the...