State Rep. Tony Scott announced his throat cancer diagnosis and talked about his journey on the House floor on Jan. 8 during the opening day of the 2025 General Assembly session.
Scott, 48, said he had a sore throat for weeks over the summer and began to think it was more than just a lingering cold. He went to his doctor and was told it was throat cancer, surprising considering he has never smoked in his life.
“I was lucky this was caught early, and my prognosis is a good one,” said Scott. “But it was going to be a rough road during radiation and chemo. There I was, on Election Day, sitting for hours undergoing treatment. It wasn’t where I wanted to be, but it’s what I had to do.”
Scott urged Connecticut residents to go for regular checkups and to be an advocate for themselves and their loved ones.
“I just knew there was something wrong,” he said. “I wanted answers and got one, not one I wanted to hear, but it was an answer. I would say to anyone experiencing something like this to go out and get checked and ask questions. The doctors and staff at Yale New Haven’s Smiow Cancer Hospital were amazing. From Chief Surgeon Dr. Saral Mehra to Dr. Harold Tara in oncology to Dr. Julie Kang in radiology, their endless care has gotten me to the other side and ready to get back to normalcy.”
During the fall, Scott continued to attend community events and fulfilled legislative obligations. He was involved with FEMA during the recovery efforts after the August flooding in the 112th District, which includes Monroe, Easton and Trumbull.
“I still had a job to do for the roughly 25,000 constituents who elected me to be their voice,” he said. “And I did not waver on those obligations. My staff also stepped up to help where needed to make sure any constituent need was addressed.”
Scot said he didn’t miss a day of work at Edgewell Personal Care in Shelton where he works as a senior promotions manager. The agency was very helpful, he said, allowing him to work around numerous doctor appointments and treatments.
Scott will continue to serve as Ranking Member of the legislature’s Housing Committee and as a member of the Human Services Committee and the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee during this new term.
