Rush Limbaugh: I Have 'Advanced Lung Cancer'

Rush Limbaugh told his radio listeners Monday that he has advanced lung cancer, reports Fox News. The 69-year-old conservative icon says he will have to miss some time from his show for treatment, but will try to "keep everything as normal" as possible. He said he hopes to be back on the air Thursday. “If not, it’ll be as soon as I can,” he said. Limbaugh said he first suspected trouble when he experienced shortness of breath on Jan. 12 and initially thought it might be heart trouble. Instead, his doctor gave him the cancer diagnosis, and it was confirmed by two medical institutions, per NBC News.

"This day has been one of the most difficult days in recent memory for me, because I’ve known this moment was coming,” he said. "It’s a struggle for me because I had to inform my staff earlier today. I can’t help but feel that I’m letting everybody down. The upshot is that I have been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.” Limbaugh said his first instinct was to keep the news private but he ultimately opted against doing that. "I don't want to burden anybody with it and I haven't wanted to," he said. "But it is what it is. And you know me, I'm the mayor of Real-ville." (More Rush Limbaugh stories.)