Dayton’s cancer, called ‘localized, treatable and curable,’ won’t disrupt duties as governor

Mark Dayton’s prostate cancer is curable, according to his doctors, and won’t significantly disrupt his duties as governor of Minnesota.

Dayton visited Mayo Clinic in Rochester on Tuesday and Wednesday and underwent “extensive diagnostic tests,” according to his deputy chief of staff, Linden Zakula. Those tests showed the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate.

“Governor Dayton is now evaluating two recommended treatment options, which are surgery or radiation,” Zakula said in a statement. “He expects to make that decision in several days, and it will be disclosed at that time.”

Karl Oestreich, a spokesperson for Mayo Clinic, said the cancer was “caught early and is localized, treatable and curable.” 

“His Mayo Clinic physicians have discussed several treatment options with the governor and he is in the process of making his decision,” Oestreich said. “The governor should be able to carry on his duties serving the citizens of Minnesota without significant interruption.” 

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health. Other governors and public figures, including former Secretary of State John Kerry, have been successfully treated for prostate cancer.

Dayton announced his diagnosis Jan. 24 during a press conference about his proposed budget for the next two years. The topic came up after the governor fainted during his State of the State Address. Doctors said those two incidents are unrelated.

Last week, Dayton insisted he is still mentally and physically capable of performing the duties of governor: “As far as I know, there are no brain cells in my prostate.”