White House spokesman Tony Snow has been diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer, U.S. President George W. Bush said Tuesday. Snow, who survived colon cancer in 2005, had surgery Monday to remove a growth in his abdomen. Doctors later determined that cancer had returned and spread to his liver. “It's a recurrence of the cancer that he thought that he had successfully dealt with in the past. His attitude is ... that he is not going to let this whip him, and he's upbeat,” Bush told journalists after speaking with Snow by telephone. “My message to Tony is, stay strong; a lot of people love you and care for you and will pray for you. And we're hoping for all the best.” White House deputy spokeswoman Dana Perino told journalists that the condition was serious, but that Snow is “in very good spirits” and has vowed to survive. Snow became White House spokesman in 2006.
