Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) is undergoing surgery today to remove a spot on the lower portion of his left lung.

The spot was found during a follow-up exam to a routine physical in November, according to Johanns’ press secretary, Sarah Pompei. The procedure, to be conducted at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, will determine whether the spot is cancerous.

“Doctors initially monitored the spot and decided during an examination yesterday to proceed with surgery today,— Pompei said in a statement.

Johanns, elected to his first term in 2008 after serving as Agriculture secretary in the George W. Bush administration, is expected to return to the chamber on Monday, March 16.