Rep. Dan Kildee of Michigan undergoes cancer surgery

April 18 (UPI) -- Rep. Dan Kildee underwent surgery to remove a small tumor from his tonsil, his office said Monday, just weeks after he was diagnosed with skin cancer.

The Michigan Democrat had surgery Monday afternoon at George Washington University Hospital where he is expected to stay for several days as part of his recovery, Mitchell Rivard, chief of staff for Kildee, said in a statement.

The statement did not state when he was expected to return to Washington, D.C., but that after being discharged from the hospital he would continue to recover at home.

Kildee announced late last month that he had been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, "a serious but curable form of cancer."

According to the Mayo Clinic, the type of cancer Kildee was diagnosed with is a common form of skin cancer and is usually not life-threatening, but if left untreated it can spread to other parts of the body, causing serious complications.

The 64-year-old congressman is expected to miss votes in the U.S. House of Representatives, but Rivard said that Kildee will be submitting written statements for the record to the House clerk for any missed recorded votes. His offices in Michigan's Eighth District and Washington, D.C., will remain open, he added.

"The Congressman, his wife Jennifer and the Kildee family have been touched by all the kind notes and well wishes since his diagnosis," Rivard said. "The Congressman thanks his constituents and colleagues in Congress for their continued support."

Kildee is the latest Democratic House representative to announce battles against cancer in recent months, with Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland stating late last year that he had been diagnosed with diffuse large B cell Lymphoma.

In late February, Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas said he successfully underwent surgery to remove tumors from his gastrointestinal tract.