New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday she has been diagnosed with skin cancer and plans to undergo a procedure to remove it this week.
The governor told reporters that her doctor discovered basal cell carcinoma on her nose during a routine checkup a few weeks ago, describing it as “a little, little spot on my nose.”
Hochul, 66, said she will have the removal procedure done Friday morning.
Basal cell carcinoma is one of the most common types of skin cancer and is highly curable, especially when detected early.
This is a slow-growing cancer that is usually limited to the surface of the skin. Doctors usually remove it through a superficial incision.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday she has been diagnosed with skin cancer and plans to undergo a procedure to remove it this week.
Basal cell carcinoma is one of the most common types of skin cancer. It is highly curable, especially when detected early. It is a slow-growing cancer that is usually limited to the surface of the skin. Doctors usually remove it through a superficial incision.
Hochul urged people to get regular medical checkups.
“A tiny, tiny speck on my nose, you can’t even see it,” Hochul described it, saying she will have it removed Friday out of an “abundance of caution.”
The surgery is such that patients can often have it done and go home the same day, something Hochul hopes.
“I’ll be out of action for an hour or two tomorrow morning,” he said.
The Democrat said she will return to her regular duties “with a bandage on her nose.”
Hochul was recently embroiled in a scandal after a former employee was arrested for allegedly being a Chinese spy.
Linda Sun, who served in numerous roles under Governors Andrew Cuomo and Hochul from 2012 to 2023, was arrested last week along with her husband, Chris Hu, at their $4 million mansion on Long Island.
Prosecutors say Sun secretly worked to promote CCP interests in New York, particularly regarding Taiwan, which the CCP considers part of China. She is accused of blocking representatives of the Taiwanese government and even attending a protest against the Taiwanese president in New York in 2018.
Hochul has recently been embroiled in a scandal after a former employee was arrested for allegedly being a Chinese spy.
Linda Sun (center), who served in numerous roles under Governors Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul from 2012 to 2023, was arrested Tuesday morning along with her husband, Chris Hu, at their $4 million mansion on Long Island.
In 2020, Sun texted a Chinese official, saying, “I almost had a heart attack when we referred to Taiwan as a country. Fortunately, the press team corrected it immediately.”
In 2021, when Cuomo was still governor, Chinese officials asked him for a Lunar New Year video. Sun said Hochul, then lieutenant governor, could probably do it and asked her for “talking points about things you want me to mention.”
“Mainly wishes for vacations and hopes for friendship and cooperation. Nothing too political,” one official told him, according to the indictment.
Sun later told another official that she had argued with Hochul’s speechwriter over the draft because he insisted on mentioning the “Uighur situation” in China. She promised she would not allow that to happen, and the final speech did not mention the Muslim ethnic minority or the persecution they face in China, according to the indictment.
In September 2021, she was named deputy chief of staff to Hochul, according to her LinkedIn profile. She remained in the role for about 15 months.
Sun and Hu pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance on Sept. 4 in Brooklyn and were released on bail. Sun has been banned from having any contact with the PRC consulate and mission.
His defense attorney, Jarrod Schaeffer, said: “We look forward to addressing these charges in court. Our client is understandably upset by the filing of these charges.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Hochul’s office said the administration fired Sun after “uncovering evidence of misconduct.”
“This individual was hired by the Executive Chamber more than a decade ago. We terminated her employment in March 2023 after uncovering evidence of misconduct, promptly reported her actions to law enforcement, and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process,” the statement read.