Saying his announcement was on the occasion of September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Falls Church City Councilman Phil Duncan issued a statement on his Facebook page early this morning stating, “Since early this year, I have been in treatment for prostate cancer, a diagnosis I received after a routine PSA test and follow-up procedures at Inova Fairfax Hospital.”

Duncan, who was first elected to the City Council in May 2012, continued, “Mine is among nearly a quarter million newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer in the U.S. this year, according to the American Cancer Society. I have devoted considerable time and energy these past eight months to following the course of treatment recommended to me.”

Expressing appreciation to his medical treatment specialists, work and City Council colleagues and family, he added that with their help and moral support, “I have been able to tend to medical chores and still fulfill other obligations, including attending 100 percent of Council meetings and work sessions.”

He wrote, “Many folks have medical issues and other concerns they deal with privately, quite understandably. I thought for a time to follow this course. But as the year has progressed, I’ve come to feel it’s more in my nature to share my news, in hopes of encouraging guys within earshot to monitor their prostate health.”