Sheriff Tom Spangler ‘not going anywhere’ as he faces pancreatic cancer

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Knox County sheriff Tom Spangler says he is optimistic not only for his health, but his career, after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year.

“Unless a tragedy happens, I’m not going anywhere,” he said.

Spangler said he was shocked when he got the call he had cancer back in February.

“Why me?” he asked. “What did I do wrong or what have you, and it was a scary moment, just to be frank about it because – what are they going to do? How bad is it?”

He said luckily, his doctors caught the disease early, calling the initial prognosis “excellent.”

Recently, he has been in communication with Morgan County sheriff Wayne Potter, who was diagnosed with the same cancer in May.

“Not that I’m an expert at it, by no means, but I’ve gone through seven treatments right now, and I’m starting my eighth one this week, and you know, things are positive on my end and I hope that they turn out that way with Wayne as well,” said Spangler.

Since his diagnosis, Spangler says the tumor in his pancreas has reduced by half, and the one in his liver is nearly gone.

He said the outpouring of support has helped in this process.

“Let me tell you, the prayers have been unreal,” he said, “It’s overwhelming to a good point.”

With two years and two months left in his term, he says it is his obligation to serve the community.

“I can’t lay down, that’s not going to happen because if I did that, I would let everybody down within this agency and the people,” he said. “So, I’m going to be the sheriff and I’m going to do the job that is required of me to do, with a little bit of a speed bump.”

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