Former Iowa first lady Mari Culver has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will start treatment Thursday.
A family spokesman confirmed the diagnosis on Tuesday.
Culver, who is now an Iowa assistant attorney general, shared the news to encourage women and men to seek regular screenings.
She says in a statement that early detection improves the likelihood of a positive outcome.
Mrs.Culver writes in a social media post that she hopes she is lucky – that it truly is early and her prognosis is good.”
Her husband, Chet Culver, was Iowa’s governor from 2007 to 2011.
