Sen. Saxby Chambliss confirms he has prostate cancer

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss has prostate cancer but is expected to make a full recovery, he confirmed Thursday.

Georgia's junior senator, a Republican, told his staff of the diagnosis Wednesday. The cancer was discovered during a routine physical exam, Chambliss said.

After news outlets in Atlanta reported the cancer rumor, Chambliss' office released a statement confirming the diagnosis. The senator has no immediate plans to take time off for medical treatment.

"My diagnosis only underscores the importance of having an annual physical checkup," Chambliss' statement read. "Early detection is critical to finding prostate cancer during the initial stages when treatment is most likely to be effective."

Chambliss, 60, is a lawyer from Moultrie who was elected to the U.S. House in 1994. In 2002, he defeated former Democratic Sen. Max Cleland.

Chambliss is the second member of Georgia's congressional delegation to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the past year.

Rep. Jim Marshall, a Democrat from Macon, underwent successful surgery for prostate cancer last October.