Pastor John Cao, a Chinese Christian leader who completed a seven-year prison sentence in 2024, has been diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer and a spinal tumor, according to reports from Christian advocacy organizations. His diagnosis has renewed concerns about his continued inability to leave China and reunite with his family in the United States. Cao was arrested in March 2017 while traveling near the China-Burma border. He was later sentenced to seven years in prison for allegedly organizing illegal border crossings. Cao had been involved in humanitarian work in Burma, where he helped establish schools and aid impoverished communities.