Longtime California congressman and politician John Garamendi said Monday that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma.
In a statement and video posted to the social media platform X on Monday afternoon, Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove), 79, said doctors caught the cancer at an early stage. He recalled his doctor calling him to say, “When are you coming back to California? You have to come in for a series of tests.”
Multiple myeloma weakens the immune system and makes some vaccines less effective. The cancer attacks plasma cells, limiting their ability to produce the antibodies the human body needs to fight infections.
Garamendi said he plans to continue working while receiving outpatient treatment at Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento. He said he is receiving chemoimmunotherapy, a treatment that combines chemotherapy with immunotherapy, which boosts the body's immune system.
Garamendi said his doctor has warned him to reduce unnecessary exposure to viruses, including COVID-19 and the flu, while his immune system is weakened. His office said he plans to limit travel to Washington and public events.
“My love and solidarity goes out to all the other families battling cancer and all other health conditions, and to the doctors, nurses and medical staff who bring us comfort and hope,” Garamendi said.
Garamendi served as California's lieutenant governor under President Arnold Schwarzenegger from 2007 to 2009. He was the state's first elected insurance commissioner in the 1990s and served in the state Legislature from 1974 to 1990, where he was a strong advocate for universal health care.
