Nadine Menendez, Co-defendant In Sen. Bob Menendez's Bribery Trial, Diagnosed With Advanced Breast Cancer

Nadine Menendez, who is currently under indictment for bribery and extortion charges alongside her husband, has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will require a mastectomy, according to a press release from Sen. Bob Menendez’s office.

"We are of course, concerned about the seriousness and advanced stage of the disease," Bob Menendez said in a statement.

While his trial began this week in New York, Nadine Menendez's trial date was postponed due to medical concerns that were undisclosed until Thursday. A tentative date for her trial had been set for July, but it remains unclear if she will have recovered from her treatment by that time.

In opening statements Wednesday, Bob Menendez's lawyer placed some of the alleged crimes on Nadine Menendez, saying she had financial dealings he was not aware of. They are accused of accepting bribes of cash, gold and a luxury car for the senator's influence.

Bob Menendez said his wife's cancer is Grade 3, which, according to the National Cancer Institute, is a high grade — meaning that the cancer is more aggressive and likely to grow and spread quickly. The release did not specify the stage of her cancer, a measure of how far the cancer has progressed, but did refer to the “advanced stage” of the disease.

"She will require follow up surgery and possibly radiation treatment," Bob Menendez said.