Veteran US politician and former Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole revealed Thursday that he has late-stage lung cancer.

“I was recently diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and my treatment started on Monday.”the 97-year-old former senator reported on Twitter.

“Even though I have some obstacles along the way, I know that I stand alongside millions of Americans who face their own health challenges.”said the politician, a veteran of World War II.

Dole, he spent 35 years in Congress and during that period he tried unsuccessfully to reach the White House on several occasions, the last time in 1996.

In 1980 he lost the Republican Party nomination to Ronald Reagan and in 1988 he pitched on a second try, but was defeated in the primaries by George HW Bush, then vice president.

In 1996 he finally managed to be the Republican candidate for the White House, but lost in a resounding way to Democrat Bill Clinton after a bland campaign. At 73, he was the oldest candidate to compete for the White House, a record that has not been surpassed since.

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