Kathy Griffin Shares Lung Cancer Diagnosis

Comedian and actor Kathy Griffin revealed on social media that she has cancer and will have surgery to remove it.

On Twitter, she explained that while she never smoked, she has lung cancer.

Griffin, 60, said, "I'm about to go into surgery to have half of my left lung removed."

She added that her doctors were "very optimistic" that the cancer has been contained in only her left lung. If the surgery is successful, Griffin said, she won't have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

"I should be up and running around as usual in a month or less," she wrote.

About 10-20 percent of lung cancer patients in the United States -- between 20,000 to 40,000 -- are nonsmokers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of these patients have been exposed to secondhand smoke and radon.

Griffin noted that the last four years have been hard since her infamous photoshoot where she held a fake, severed Donald Trump head.

"But I'm gonna be just fine," Griffin said.

She ended her message by mentioning that she was fully vaccinated for COVID-19, adding that being unvaccinated could have made her illness worse.

Griffin's note comes as many in the medical community warn of the consequences of putting off checkups, especially during the pandemic. While many feared going to health clinics during the pandemic, doctors have urged patients to continue to keep up with their regular health screenings and tests.

"Please stay up to date on your medical checkups. It'll save your life," Griffin wrote.