N.J. Sen. Allen, former TV anchor, fighting cancer

State Sen. Diane Allen (R., Burlington) has been diagnosed with an "aggressive cancer" and could have surgery as early as this week, her office disclosed today.

"My illness has shown me again just how much the good people of my district and the state of New Jersey care about others," Allen said. "It's impossible to express how grateful I am for their outpourings of caring, support and love."

Allen, 61, a deputy minority leader in the legislature, formerly worked as a news anchor in Philadelphia on Channels 3 and 10. She was sidelined for much of last year with a bout of pneumonia, which forced her to miss several voting sessions.