HHS secretary sports bandage, puffy eye after easily curable skin cancer removed from forehead

HHS secretary has minor skin cancer removed

WASHINGTON — The office of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (seh-BEEL’-yuhs) says she had a slow-growing form of skin cancer removed from her forehead Tuesday.

The spot was a basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer and a highly curable type since it typically is easily cut away.

When Sebelius testified before Congress on Wednesday she had a small bandage on her forehead with a puffy, bruised-looking eye just beneath. That is typical of the minor swelling that follows the outpatient procedure.

In a statement, her office said, “The surgery was successful.”