Red Cross president Gail McGovern has cancer; diagnosis came a day after Haiti earthquake

Red Cross president Gail McGovern has cancer

WASHINGTON — Gail McGovern, the president and CEO of the American Red Cross, says she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

McGovern says in a statement that she learned of her cancer the day after Haiti’s deadly earthquake. She already underwent surgery on Feb. 11, and doctors say her prognosis is excellent.

The 58-year-old says the cancer was discovered very early. The next and final phase of treatment is daily radiation therapy for four to six weeks.

She plans to continue working at the Red Cross headquarters in Washington while she undergoes treatment. McGovern was treated for unrelated breast cancer in 2006.