Michael Caputo, a top spokesman for the Health and Human Services Department who recently went on medical leave amid controversy, revealed he was diagnosed with cancer in his head and neck.
In a statement on Thursday, New York Assemblyman David DiPietro, acting as Caputo’s spokesman, said the health official has “squamous cell carcinoma, a metastatic head and neck cancer which originated in his throat.” Caputo was diagnosed last week after undergoing surgery at the National Cancer Institute for a lump on his neck.
“He is now home in Western New York, resting in the loving arms of his family, under the watchful eye of Jesus Christ,” DiPietro said.
Caputo revealed last month that he’d been “dealing with” pain from a “walnut-sized” lump on his neck that he considered a swollen lymph node. “It’s something I’ve been dealing with for months but didn’t do anything about it even though I work in a building full of doctors.”
Last week, HHS released a statement saying Caputo was taking a 60-day leave of absence from his post to “focus on his health and the well-being of his family” after facing backlash for accusing government scientists of “sedition.” Caputo described a “resistance unit” in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attempting to prevent President Trump’s reelection.
Caputo reportedly apologized for the statements during a meeting with officials.
