Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores (Pct. 1), who was not present for the final two Commissioners Court meetings of 2024, said Tuesday that she’s been seeking treatment for colon cancer.
Clay-Flores was reelected to a second four-year term in November. She had a contentious Democratic primary this past March that sent her to a runoff.
Clay-Flores said at Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting that she wasn’t feeling well during the primary runoff, and after months of doctors’ appointments and labs, she was ultimately diagnosed just before the start of early voting for the November election.
“In order to not freak out during the last couple of weeks of my election, when I was campaigning, I had to reframe my understanding of my cancer to realize that, though I did not choose cancer, God entrusted me with it, so now I need to do something about it,” Clay-Flores said.
She said she had a large tumor in her colon that was bleeding, and underwent a six-hour surgery, spending five days in the hospital.
Clay-Flores previously worked for city’s Metropolitan Health District, and said she planned to double down on her advocacy for health care access, including mental health funding and preventative health screenings.
“I may still miss some Commissioners Court meetings, depending on future long-term care,” she said at Tuesday’s meeting. “But to my constituents, know that my staff and I will continue to work hard for Precinct 1, and will continue to get big things done during my second term. Do not procrastinate, colonoscopies save lives.”
Colorectal cancer rates have been on the rise among U.S. adults younger than 50 since the 1990s, according to the National Cancer Institute, and some medical organizations have lowered the recommended screening age from 50 to 45.