Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, recently shared that she is cancer-free after a diagnosis of an aggressive form of breast cancer.
Wiles, 69, who became the first woman to hold the chief of staff role in January 2025, was diagnosed in March 2026 and underwent six months of treatment, according to public reports.
On Sept. 16, she shared on X that her pathology results from Mayo Clinic had come back clear, stating, “I am cancer-free.”
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Wiles recently shared some additional details of her cancer journey with Fox News Digital.
Wiles’ diagnosis came as a complete surprise, as she had no symptoms and no indications that anything was wrong, she said.
“I felt fine. I was working every day in one of the most demanding jobs imaginable. There was nothing telling me that I had cancer,” she told Fox News Digital.
Wiles had gone in for her annual checkup. She wasn’t due for her annual mammogram until several months later, but the machine happened to be available that day.
“My doctor asked if I wanted to get it out of the way,” she said. “I told him I wasn’t due for another few months and I’d come back.”
Wiles’ doctor insisted that she proceed with the scan, as he knew that her job’s busy schedule would make scheduling a challenge.
“He said, essentially, ‘You’re here. The machine is available. Let’s do it now.’ Thank God he insisted.”
The mammogram detected Wiles’ aggressive breast cancer at an early stage.
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“Had he not encouraged me to do it that day, I would have gone back to work and probably not thought about it again until July,” she said.
“We would be having a very different conversation in that case. Four months may not sound like a long time, but with cancer, early detection matters. I will always be grateful to my doctor for knowing me well enough to insist.”
While the physical effects of cancer treatment are well-known, Wiles emphasized that there is also a mental and emotional toll.
“There were hard days. I don’t want to minimize that or make cancer sound anything less than it is — brutal and unrelenting,” she said.
“You wake up thinking about it. Sometimes you go to sleep thinking about it. There is always another appointment or test result somewhere on the horizon.”
Wiles credits her “exceptional” doctors and nurses, as well as her family, friends and colleagues, for supporting her through the process. Her faith also sustained her, she added.
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“One of the things I have shared is how cancer can consume both your conscious and subconscious mind,” she said. “Even when you’re doing something else, it’s there — treatment, side effects, test results.”
“Having people around you who can carry some of that weight matters enormously.”
Everyone finds strength in different places when going through hard times, Wiles noted.
“For me, my family, my faith, and continuing to work and serve the president and the country gave me purpose,” she said. “Those were the things that reminded me there was so much in my life beyond cancer.”
“I was surrounded by people who loved me, prayed for me and supported me. And I had faith that whatever happened, God was with me.”
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The disease can make the world seem “very small” for someone who receives a diagnosis, Wiles pointed out.
She opted to continue working during treatment, noting that she was “surprised” by how much it helped.
“Work gave me somewhere else to put my mind,” she said. “It reminded me that I was still myself and that cancer was something I was going through, not the entirety of who I was.”
Now that she is cancer-free, Wiles said she places a higher priority on healthy habits.
“I am far more conscious of the need for a clean and healthy diet, how important sleep is to your body, and the importance of exercise — even something as simple as getting up, moving and walking outside,” she said.
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“Between reading everything I can get my hands on, hearing often from Secretary Kennedy about healthy living and following my doctors’ recommendations, I have recommitted myself to doing the things we know are good for us and that will put me in the best possible position to avoid a recurrence.”
After her close call and “fortunate” discovery, Wiles is now encouraging others to stay on top of their routine medical appointments and screenings, urging them to “please make the appointment.”
“I understand how easy it is to put yourself last. We do it all the time,” she said. “We take care of our families, our jobs and everyone who depends on us, and we convince ourselves that our own appointment can wait another week or another month.”
“We all have reasons to put things off … but you cannot be too busy to take care of your health. I learned that in a very personal way.”
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To others who are in the midst of a cancer journey, Wiles emphasized the importance of letting other people step in to help.
“My advice would be to let them. Accept the help. Lean on the people you love. Trust your doctors,” she advised. “And for me, most importantly, trust God.”
There is no single right way to fight cancer, Wiles said.
“Some days, you will feel strong, and some days simply getting through the day is an accomplishment,” she said.
“I hope people going through it know that they are not alone, and that there can be life, joy and purpose not only on the other side, but also in the midst of the fight.”
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Wiles says her cancer experience has given her a fresh perspective and greater appreciation for the “ordinary days” that many take for granted — but she also noted that the disease has not made her an entirely different person.
“I love my work. I love my family. I am enormously grateful to be cancer-free, and I intend to live my life fully,” she said.
“There isn’t a day that I don’t understand what a blessing that is.”