(Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

With a mix of humor and optimism, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced this afternoon that he is batting “a very advanced and very aggressive” form of cancer.

The governor said he first noticed a lump while shaving on the last day of a recent trade mission. After a battery of tests and doctors visits—causing him to miss a number of recent meetings—he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Doctors are still running tests, but it is either very advanced stage 3 or stage 4, Hogan said.

“The good news is that although the cancer I have is an aggressive one and it has spread very rapidly, it also responds very well to chemotherapy treatment, he said. “My odds are much, much better than beating Anthony Brown to become the 62nd governor of Maryland,” he added to sustained laughter.

With his wife Yumi at his side, Hogan was emphatic that he plans to remain in office. “I’ll be receiving multiple very aggressive chemotherapy treatments. Most likely I’ll be losing my hair—you won’t have these beautiful gray locks. I might slim down, but I won’t stop working to change Maryland for the better.”

When asked what it would take for him to cede the office to Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, Hogan answered: “If I died, I would say he probably is going to take over. It is hard to foresee. Unless I’m completely incapacitated and unable to make decisions—but I don’t foresee that happening.”

Still, he acknowledged that the road ahead will be tough, with a grueling chemotherapy schedule in front of him. Due to the nature of the disease, doctors recommended a treatment that is as aggressive as possible. Hogan said the plan is to put him in the hospital for four days of treatment. After, doctors will start six rounds of chemo set apart by several weeks. All told, he said, doctors expect it to be an 18-week process.

“All of the experts tell me they believe that I”ll come out of that completely clear,” Hogan said. “They also tell me it’s going to beat the hell out of me.”

He said that Rutherford and other cabinet officials and staffers will step in for him at some events. “I’m going to miss a few meetings but I’m still going to be constantly involved,” he said, joking about troopers already lugging piles of paperwork between the governor’s residence and the statehouse across the street.

The governor, who said he is generally feeling well despite a loss in appetite, added confidently: “Even if I were to work half time, it’d be twice as much as any other governor.”