U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, who was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer and had a kidney removed in May, announced today that she has “some small spots in my thyroid gland.”

Hirono thanked those who have expressed their concern and asked about her health and said, “I will be undergoing immunotherapy, a cutting-edge treatment, to enable my own immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. This is different than chemotherapy, which suppresses the immune system. The most recent public person who has benefited from immunotherapy is President Jimmy Carter in his fight against melanoma. I expect to continue to do my job during the course of this treatment.

“And of course I will be running for re-election in 2018,” she said. “Having cancer sucks, but I know that there are people in our country facing major health issues every single day.”