San Diego City Councilmember and U.S. congressional candidate Marni von Wilpert announced that she underwent a "successful surgery" last week for early-stage breast cancer.
In a news release, von Wilpert said her prognosis "is excellent" and the cure rate for her type is 99%.
A routine mammogram detected the cancer — described as stage 2, grade 1 — in late spring, said von Wilpert, who has represented District 5 since late 2020.
The surgery "showed no further abnormalities or spread," von Wilpert added.
The 43-year-old councilmember is the Democratic nominee in the race for the 48th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Her opponent is San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, a Republican.
Von Wilpert said she is continuing "to campaign for Congress full-time and serve her City Council constituents throughout her diagnosis and treatment."
"I'm sharing this because I want women to know that routine screenings save lives," von Wilpert added. "My doctors caught this early, my prognosis is excellent, I feel great and I'm not missing a beat from the campaign trail.
"I nearly put off my annual mammogram this year, but I'm so grateful I didn't. I am so grateful for my amazing doctors and nurses."
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in United States, affecting about one in eight women, according to the American Cancer Society.
If caught early, the cancer is also one of the most treatable, von Wilpert's office said.
Dr. Noran Barry, a surgical oncologist at Sharp Healthcare, said von Wilpert has "a slow-growing, highly treatable type" of cancer, and that her overall good health is also a factor in her prognosis, according to the release from von Wilpert's office.
"I expect a full and rapid recovery and no significant effect on her daily activities," Barry said. "I cannot emphasize enough the role early detection played in ensuring this was curable and how critical annual breast cancer screenings are for women's health."
The councilmember said she feels fortunate to have quality health care and to be able to afford her insurance co-pays. However, "millions of American women and families don't have that same security — and that must change," von Wilpert added.
