WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings announced Monday he has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
The Democrat, who represents Florida's 20th congressional district that includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach Counties, is undergoing treatment at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C.
"Now that I have begun treatment, I feel hopeful about survival and about my ability to continue serving my constituents of Florida's 20th Congressional district and the nation," Hastings wrote in a statement.
The congressman asked members of the public for their prayers.
"I have been convinced that this is a battle worth fighting, and my life is defined by fighting battles worth fighting. Should it become clear that this cancer which has invaded my body cannot be defeated, I will tell you so," he wrote.
Hastings is serving his 14th congressional term. He was first elected in 1992.
He was born in Altamonte Springs, graduated from Fisk University and earned his law degree at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.
The congressman is a senior member of the House Rules Committee and a leading voice in the Democratic Caucus.
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter appointed him as the first black federal judge in Florida.
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