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Felando Announces He Has Cancer

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Times Staff Writer

Veteran Assemblyman Gerald N. Felando (R-San Pedro) disclosed Thursday that he is undergoing radiation therapy to treat cancer.

“It’s another battle, and that’s what I do best. I’ll fight it,” declared Felando, whose reputation as a savvy political street fighter was bolstered last year when he defeated a well-financed Republican primary challenge and coasted to reelection in November.

In a telephone interview with The Times, Felando said he plans to remain in the Legislature and to run for reelection in 1990.

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Felando, 54, who has not been in the Capitol this week, said that he began receiving radiation treatment Tuesday for mycosis fungoides, a form of lymphoma that affects the skin and occasionally spreads to the internal organs. He said the cancer is similar to leukemia.

Prospects Reasonably Good

Felando said the treatment could cause excessive fatigue, weight loss and increased metabolism. He said his doctors have told him that after he completes the 10-week treatment program, the prospects for normal life expectancy are reasonably good.

A cancer specialist at UCLA who asked not to be identified said Thursday that if the disease is detected early, “it’s something that can be cured or repressed for long periods of time.”

While undergoing treatment, Felando said, he will continue to oversee his staff in Sacramento and at his Torrance office. Felando said he plans to spend part of each week in the Capitol to attend hearings and Assembly floor sessions. “I’ll do that as long as I can,” Felando said. “If this fatigue thing is worse than I imagine, then I’ll cut back.”

Another South Bay lawmaker, Assemblyman Curtis R. Tucker (D-Inglewood), was discovered last year to have a liver lymphoma. He died in October. During 1988, at least three other Assembly members were under treatment for various types of cancer.

High Political Profile

Felando, first elected in 1978, has had a high political profile since the end of 1987. First he announced that he would run for the congressional seat held by then-Rep. Daniel E. Lungren (R-Long Beach) after Lungren was nominated as state treasurer. But Felando later withdrew from the contest, citing the potential strain on his family life.

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When he jumped back into the race for his Assembly seat, Felando faced a challenge from Deane Dana III, son of Los Angeles County Supervisor Deane Dana. The younger Dana accused Felando of having a cozy relationship with the Assembly’s top Democrat, Speaker Willie Brown of San Francisco. Felando defeated Dana by an 8% margin and went on to win the November general election in the 51st District, which stretches from Hermosa Beach to San Pedro.

When the Legislature reconvened a month later, Felando again found himself on the political hot seat. Republican legislators and party officials sought to pressure him into supporting Assemblyman Charles Calderon (D-Whittier), who was challenging Brown’s speakership. Felando, however, announced that he would not support any Democrat.

Embarrassment for Republicans

Instead, he and two other Republicans believed to be sympathetic to Brown cast their votes for Assembly Republican Leader Ross Johnson of La Habra, a move designed to embarrass those Republicans who ultimately supported Calderon.

At the same time, Felando, a dentist, was privately seeking a diagnosis for his symptoms. He said he first spotted lesions on his skin about 18 months ago. However, he said, the cancer was not diagnosed until last September or October.

The lawmaker said the toughest part of having the malignancy has been telling his family. “I’m handling it pretty well mentally, but when you tell people you really love, they become extremely emotional, and that becomes even harder on me.”

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