NY Gov Kathy Hochul diagnosed with skin cancer, set to undergo 'small removal procedure'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: New York Governor Kathy Hochul dropped a revelation on Thursday, September 12, as she told reporters that she had been diagnosed with skin cancer.

The governor, 66, shared that her doctor found a basal cell carcinoma on her nose during a routine checkup a few weeks ago. "It was just a tiny, tiny speck," she said. "You can't even see it."

Hochul mentioned that she would undergo a minor removal procedure on Friday morning. "I'm going to have a small removal procedure. I'm not going under. It's local anesthesia. It will be occurring Friday morning. I'll be back to work an hour later, but there will be a bandage on my nose," she told reporters.

Kathy Hochul diagnosed with Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer that’s quite common, especially if you’ve spent a lot of time in the sun without protection. It’s slow-growing and fortunately highly treatable, especially when caught early like in Hochul’s case.

The cancer typically stays confined to the surface of the skin, which is why it’s often removed with just a shallow incision. However, if left untreated, it can spread to nearby areas and even invade bone or tissue. Early detection is key.

Hochul shared that this type of skin cancer runs in her family so she was always vigilant even during routine screenings. She used her diagnosis as a wake-up call for others, urging everyone to be proactive about their skin health.

"There’s about 6 million diagnoses a day from the CDC, and I want to make sure everybody’s smart about this," she said. "Use your suntan lotion. Make sure your kids are protected. For the Irish, it’s very common—just about everybody in my family," she added, as quoted by the New York Post.

Kathy Hochul engulfed in controversy

While dealing with her cancer diagnosis, Kathy Hochul is also navigating another embarrassing situation. Recently, one of her former employees Linda Sun was arrested on allegations of being a Chinese spy.

Sun—who worked under both Hochul and former Governor Andrew Cuomo from 2012 to 2023—was taken into custody last week along with her husband Chris Hu at their $4 million mansion on Long Island.

The charges against Sun are serious. Prosecutors claim she secretly worked to promote the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) interests in New York, especially regarding Taiwan which the CCP views as part of China.

Sun is accused of blocking representatives of the Taiwanese government and even participating in a protest against the Taiwanese president in New York City back in 2018.