Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry says he has late-stage stomach cancer

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry said Monday he has been diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer and will begin chemotherapy treatments next week.

The five-term mayor of Indiana’s second most populous city announced the diagnosis during a news briefing outside his office Monday afternoon.

“My initial scans have shown that the cancer is currently spreading through my lymph nodes and to other organs in my body. Because of that, my prognosis is not good,” Henry said.

He said he plans to continue carrying out his duties as mayor.

“I also have confidence in my ability to carry out my term as your mayor for as long as God permits,” Henry said.

Henry, 72, was elected to his fifth term as mayor of the city of about 270,000 residents in November.

Henry pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person in November 2022, had his license suspended for 90 days and received a suspended one-year jail sentence. He was arrested the month before with a blood-alcohol level of 0.152, or nearly twice Indiana’s legal limit of 0.08.

Henry’s wife, Cindy, died at age 67 on Jan. 20 after battling pancreatic cancer for more than a year.