State Sen. Vincent Fort battling cancer

State Sen. Vincent Fort took his battle with cancer public Monday.

The longtime Atlanta Democrat told Channel 2 Action News that he will miss the beginning of the 2012 legislative session because of treatment he is receiving for stage 2 prostate cancer.

Fort, 55, who represents parts of Atlanta and East Point, said doctors told him he had cancer during the summer and he's optimistic treatment will be successful.

"I can call myself, in a little while, a cancer survivor," Fort told Channel 2. "That's the title I want."

Fort is serving his sixth term as senator from the 39th district. He was first elected in 1996.

Despite his medical condition, Fort has remained politically active.

In October, Fort was among the 52 arrested near Woodruff Park during an Occupy Atlanta protest.

In November, he joined East Point Mayor Earnestine D. Pittman in suing the the south Fulton city for higher utility rates.

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