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Barbara Keeley said the campaign was “very tough” following her treatment for cancer
An MP has revealed she was recovering from treatment for breast cancer during the recent general election campaign.
Barbara Keeley, 67, said she was diagnosed in April, had surgery in May and radiotherapy in July.
Speaking at a party meeting on Thursday, the Labour MP for Worsley and Eccles South stressed the importance of “self-checking” for lumps.
She also thanked her colleagues and family for their support and the medical team at Guys Hospital, London.
“I carried on working through the radiotherapy but it does bring with it a lot of fatigue,” she said on Facebook.
“I want to emphasise again and again the importance of self-checking, which is how I found the lump that proved to be breast cancer,” she added.
“I’m so glad it was caught in time and that I am now (hopefully) cancer-free.”
‘Hats off to her’
Ms Keeley, who has been an MP since 2005, retained the seat in December with a 3,219 majority.
Her Tory opponent, Rabbi Arnold Saunders, said he was “very shocked” at the revelation.
“Hats off to her. I am full of admiration for Barbara. I hope she stays well,” he added.
Fellow Labour MP Diana Johnson tweeted: “An amazing MP, I am proud to call a good friend, who has always worked so hard for her constituents.”