Borja Sémper reflects on pancreatic cancer battle and recovery

Spanish politician and writer Borja Sémper has shared personal reflections regarding his battle with pancreatic cancer. After being diagnosed in July 2025, Sémper underwent ten months of intensive chemotherapy treatment. Although he confirmed in April 2026 that he is currently cancer-free following his final review, he noted that the disease carries a high risk of relapse and stated, “I believe I will always be a cancer patient.”

Sémper compared the experience of facing cancer to the period when he was threatened by ETA. He noted that while the fear from ETA was “manageable” because he could seek physical protection by locking doors or traveling, cancer offered no such escape, stating, “you cannot hide.” He expressed that his primary emotion was not terror of death, but rather an “immense sorrow for ceasing to live” and the prospect of missing his children growing up and the joys of daily life.