Marriott CEO Will Remain On Job While Receiving Cancer Treatment

Hotel giant Marriott International Inc MAR said Friday that President and CEO Arne Sorenson will remain on the job while receiving treatment for pancreatic cancer.

What Happened

Sorenson was diagnosed Wednesday with stage 2 pancreatic cancer, and the 60-year old executive will begin chemotherapy treatment next week, the company said. Surgery is planned for the end of 2019.

Sorenson said in a statement that the cancer was discovered early and does not appear to have spread. He said his medical team is "confident" a complete cure is a realistic outcome.

"Let me make one request, look ahead with me. We have great work underway at Marriott. I am as excited by what we can accomplish together as I have ever been," the CEO said in a statement. 

Sorenson has been a part of Marriott's team since 1996. Under his leadership, the hotel chain finalized a $14-billion acquisition of rival Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2016.

Why It's Important

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, Bloomberg said. Less than 7 percent of patients survive more than five years after the initial diagnosis, mostly due to the absence of early symptoms.

What's Next

Marriott is scheduled to report its first-quarter results May 10 before the market open. The stock was up 1.54 percent at $139 at the time of publication Friday. 

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Photo by Sam.meyer.marton/Wikimedia.