The Republican presidential nominee in 2012, Mitt Romney, was treated for prostate cancer last year.

That’s according to a Romney aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the aide was not authorized to discuss a sensitive health issue publicly.

The aide said Monday that Romney was diagnosed with “slow-growing prostate cancer” last year. The cancer was removed surgically and found not to have spread beyond the prostate, the aide said.

The news comes as the 70-year-old Romney weighs whether to run for a Utah Senate seat currently occupied by Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch. Hatch announced last week that he would not seek another term this fall.

(AP)