AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Former Gov. Ann Richards said Wednesday she has cancer of the esophagus and will undergo treatment at the world-renowned M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Richards, 72, went in for tests Monday and got the diagnosis Tuesday, said spokesman Bill Maddox. The former governor is waiting to hear from M.D. Anderson how advanced the cancer is and what her chances are.

The disease is rare and often fatal in women.

Richards, a Democrat, was governor from 1991 to 1995, losing a re-election bid to George W. Bush. Since 2001, she has been an adviser at a public relations and lobbying firm.

Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, said that esophageal cancer will be diagnosed in about 3,300 women this year and that about 3,000 of them will die.

Risk factors for esophageal cancer include long-term heavy alcohol drinking and tobacco use. Richards has acknowledged getting treatment in 1980 for alcoholism and for once being a heavy smoker.

Maddox said he did not know whether Richards had a specific problem that sent her to the doctor or whether the cancer was discovered during a routine visit.

Richards first grabbed the national spotlight with her keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention.