LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Carpet layer-turned-one-time "American Idol" hopeful Luke Menard has been diagnosed with cancer.
The handsome Season 7 contender, who was kicked off as "Idol" whittled their top 24 to a top 10, has Hodgkin lymphoma, a rep for his a capella ensemble Chapter 6, confirmed to CBS news.
"Luke had a lingering cough and was having trouble breathing deeply, so he went to the doctor to have it checked out," Jane Victor told CBS News. "The suspicion was walking pneumonia. But after a chest x-ray doctors saw a mass and did more testing, which is what led to the stage II Hodgkin diagnosis."
Though he was booted out of "Idol" earlier in the season, Menard made several appearances in the audience of the show, as recently as last week.
Menard, 29, and his wife remain hopeful. The disease has one of the highest success rates of treatment for any type of cancer.
"They've been told that it's treatable and manageable. Luke is currently in Los Angeles and plans to return home to Indiana soon," Victor said.
