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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Saturday he has a tumor on one of his kidneys, a growth his office says is likely to be cancerous.

His spokesman, Mahen Gunaratna, said the vast majority of such tumors are malignant. The growth meets the standards for the lowest kidney tumor classification of T1A, or smaller than 4 centimeters, he said.

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"Friends - I've got a tumor on my left kidney and will undergo a partial nephrectomy in early March to remove it," Murphy, 62, said on Twitter. "The prognosis is very good and I'm profoundly grateful to my doctors for detecting the tumor early."

Home recovery could last a few weeks, he told NJ.com. Whether or not the growth is cancerous won't be known until it's removed, Gunaratna said.

The governor, a Democrat who began his term in 2018, used the occasion to criticize an American health care system that leaves millions with similar diagnoses in the lurch.

"Over 50,000 New Jerseyans will hear the words "you have cancer" this year, so I'm far from alone here," Murphy tweeted.

He committed to a goal of ensuring all of his constituents have access to health care.

Health care is a right, not a privilege for a select few, and skyrocketing medical costs are a national emergency. If there’s anything my diagnosis reminds me of, it’s that preventative services are lifesaving and we need to continue fighting for affordable health care for all. — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) February 23, 2020

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said on Twitter he has faith Murphy will be fine.

"@GovMurphy is a fighter and I know this is one he will win. Wishing him a speedy recovery. My thoughts are with him, the First Lady, and their family."