Mark Foley Has Prostate Cancer: Disgraced Former Congressman To Have Surgery In Florida

Former U.S. Congressman Mark Foley has prostate cancer.

"I learned five weeks ago after a routine exam that I have prostate cancer," Foley, 56, said in an interview with Newsmax Thursday. "The surgery involves complete removal of the prostate. Naturally, I have some reservations about the surgery. Nobody wants their plumbing messed with. But I mostly feel good about it."

Foley resigned from Congress in 2006 after his sexually explicit message to young male pages became public. Foley admitted that his behavior was "extraordinarily stupid" but insisted he did nothing illegal and never had sexual contact with teens.

"There was never anywhere in those conversations where someone said, 'Stop,' or 'I'm not enjoying this,' or 'This is inappropriate' ... but again, I'm the adult here, I'm the congressman," Foley said in an interview with the Associated Press in 2008. "The fact is I allowed it to happen. That's where my responsibility lies.

According to Newsmax, Foley is scheduled to undergo surgery in a hospital near Orlando, Florida. "I made it through 2006, so this is a minor bump in the road," he said.