Norm Coleman is Cancer Free, Optimistic

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman says he is cancer-free.

Coleman made the announcement Monday on Facebook and Twitter. He said his doctor told him he had a clean PET scan.

On Facebook, Coleman said: "The release from anxiety was palpable."

Coleman announced in October he'd been diagnosed with throat cancer. He recently told KSTP-TV that his Mayo Clinic doctors give him a 90 to 95 percent chance of beating it.

Coleman sought an assessment after experiencing a prolonged sore throat and noticing a lump on his throat. He agreed to take part in a clinical trial that reduced his chemotherapy and radiation to two weeks instead of the usual seven weeks.

The Republican Coleman is former mayor of St. Paul and served one term in the Senate.