MPP Michael Gravelle 'optimistic' about cancer diagnosis

The MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North says he plans to continue on with all his duties, including those of Minister of Natural Resources, despite a recent cancer diagnosis.

At a news conferenceon Monday, Gravelle said hes been told the aggressive form of lymphoma "is treatable and the prognosis for a full recovery is good."

TheLiberal party membersaid the development means he will rely on his staff more, and he'll have to miss some public events during his chemotherapy treatments, which were to start on Tuesday.

"While I will be following the advice of my physician as to how I can protect myself throughout this process, I am hoping that I will be able to carry on with my life as normally as possible," he said.

Gravelle will receive several rounds of chemotherapy in Thunder Bay.

During an interview with CBC News, he saidhe felt conflicted about going public with the diagnosis, and added he didnt want people to think he was taking advantage of a disease to gain public sympathies.

He "kept running into so many people at the cancer centre" that word was bound to get out, he said, and noted he didn't want people to think he was hiding his diagnosis.

"I felt it was very important for them to know about my health situation," Gravelle said.