Rush Limbaugh diagnosed with lung cancer

“I have to tell you something today that I wish I didn’t have to tell you,” conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said on his Monday program. Limbaugh, 69, said two medical institutions confirmed his diagnosis of advanced lung cancer in late January. The broadcaster has been an influential voice on the right for decades after starting his first radio program in 1988.

Will he still be on the radio? Limbaugh said he would take some days off for medical tests to determine treatment, but he intends to continue working as much as possible. He said he didn’t want the announcement to distract from his work but wanted to avoid speculation when he had to miss shows for treatment. He told listeners he plans to “come here every day I can.”

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read about the radio campaign Limbaugh’s opponents launched to weaken his influence.