Former Sen. Sasse changes cancer strategy as tumors grow

Ben Sasse, former U.S. senator and university president, said Tuesday he would begin chemotherapy after discovering that his tumors had advanced farther than previously thought. Sasse was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer last year. But in July 2026, he said his tumors had shrunk by 80% due to a new cancer drug, daraxonrasib. In Sasse’s Tuesday update, he said the tumors likely mutated and developed resistance to his former treatment plan. He has been vocal about his faith as a Christian in interviews since his diagnosis.

What’s next? Despite the setback, Sasse recognized that he had outlived his original prognosis and was grateful for extra time to fight the disease and be with his family. He added some good news—doctors were able to remove a lot of cancer from his liver during a surgery last week. He thanked his wife and three children for their support, in addition to the doctors and nurses at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Since Sasse’s treatment with daraxonrasib in a clinical trial, the FDA has approved wider use of the drug for pancreatic cancer.