Santa Rosa Mayor Bob Blanchard, diagnosed with cancer nearly two years ago, is about to begin a second round of chemotherapy.


Blanchard, 70, will undergo a minor surgical procedure at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital on Monday to prepare for the chemo treatments and will be released Tuesday, in time to attend that day's City Council meeting, said Herb Williams, Blanchard's political consultant and close friend.

Blanchard has remained secretive about the nature and extent of his cancer since he was diagnosed in June 2005.

"It is a private issue. My health, to me, is something I don't talk about," he said then.

Blanchard remained so Wednesday, delegating the announcement to Williams.

Williams was just as guarded, but said it was always assumed Blanchard likely would face a second round of chemotherapy.

"The first round worked well enough that he was able to take a three-month hiatus from the treatments," Williams said.

The council granted Blanchard a six-month leave of absence from his duties in July 2005 following the removal of a cancer mass.

He earlier had been granted a 60-day leave to undergo medical tests to determine the cause of a recurring health problem.

In June 2007, Blanchard announced he would undergo chemotherapy to fight the re-emerging cancer after hormone therapy failed.

Williams said how long and how often Blanchard must undergo chemotherapy this time has not been determined.

Williams said Blanchard does not plan to miss a council meeting or take a leave of absence.

Despite his health issues and a general physical frailty caused by the chemotherapy, Blanchard has attended almost every council meeting since his original leave, meetings that often last four to six hours.

In addition, Blanchard has continued to represent the city at a wide assortment of functions in addition to his duties with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

You can reach Staff Writer Mike McCoy at 521-5276 or mike.mccoy@pressdemocrat.com.