GLOVERSVILLE, N.Y. -- It was almost one year ago when 6th Ward Supervisor Richard Ottalagano received some devastating news.

"They immediately sent me to a pulmonary doctor who says even without going further with tests, I'll tell you - you've got cancer," he said.

Doctors found a tumor about the size of a golf ball in the lower part of his right lung. Ottalagano thinks that years of smoking may have caused the cancer.

"My thoughts were that I'm gonna make this thing and that's what happened," he said.

Ottalagano then went through chemotherapy and even had some complications along the way.

"My second session of chemotherapy my system rejected the drugs, and I went into a very serious anaphylactic shock where I had a near death experience," he said.

But now he stands cancer-free and after beating the odds he said he's ready to run once again for supervisor. So far, no one is running against him, but he said he welcomes the competition.

"Yes I've still got more to offer. How many years can I be here? I came close to leaving last year, and here I am able to do things able to contribute," he said.

"He did not let the cancer fight him or put him down. He fought the cancer wholeheartedly, and he just keeps going, going and going," said 6th Ward Councilman Ray Hindes.

Ottalagano said it's all about early detection. He urges all smokers to get occasional chest X-rays because he said that's what helped save his life.