Sarah Huckabee Sanders discloses she was successfully treated for thyroid cancer

Republican Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Sarah Huckabee Sanders disclosed that she underwent successful surgery Friday to treat thyroid cancer.

"During a check-up earlier this month, my doctor ordered a biopsy on an area of concern in my neck and the test revealed that I had thyroid cancer," Sanders said in a statement. "Today, I underwent a successful surgery to remove my thyroid and surrounding lymph nodes and by the grace of God I am now cancer-free." 

Her doctor, John R. Sims, of CARTI Cancer Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, issued a statement, too, saying that the surgery "went extremely well," and he expects her to be "back on her feet even within the next 24 hours."

On Saturday, Sanders tweeted a photo of herself and her husband in a car, writing that she was leaving the hospital. 

"Words cannot express how much we appreciate the outpouring of love, prayers and support!" she wrote.

Sanders was diagnosed with Stage I papillary thyroid carcinoma, which Sims said is "the most common type of thyroid cancer and has an excellent prognosis." He said Sanders would still need to undergo treatment with radioactive iodine, but added, "I think it's fair to say she's now cancer free, and I don't anticipate any of this slowing her down."

In her statement, Sanders said the experience was "a reminder that whatever battle you may be facing, don't lose heart," and that she looked forward to returning to the campaign trail soon.

Term limits prevent two-term Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson from running again. Sanders who served as White House press secretary in the Trump administration, is running to fill his seat. She has been a prodigious fundraiser, bringing in $4.8 million in her first quarter as a candidate. Sanders was also the first candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump after he left office.

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