WASHINGTON (CNN) -- White House spokesman Tony Snow's suspicious growth in his abdomen has been found to be cancerous, according to the White House.

Doctors have said that the cancer has spread to his liver, White House spokesman Dana Perino said Tuesday.

He will consult his doctors about undergoing chemotherapy, she said.

Perino said she had spoken with Snow for about six minutes Tuesday morning. She described Snow as being in good spirits and said the president also spoke with him earlier this morning.

Shortly after the news broke, House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, offered his "thoughts and prayers" to the White House Press Secretary.

"We hope that Tony has a problem that can be dealt with in that way and we deeply respect him as a person," Blunt told reporters Tuesday. "We are very sympathetic to his family as they face this new challenge."

On Friday, Snow announced he would undergo surgery to remove a growth in his lower abdomen.

He said the procedure was being done "out of an aggressive sense of caution" because he had colon cancer two years ago.(Watch video: Snow explains his condition)

He said Friday that tests since the growth was discovered in his lower right pelvic area have been negative for cancer, but that doctors decided to remove it to be sure.

"Please do not leap to conclusions about this because we don't know what this is," Snow told reporters. "We know it's coming out, and I know I'll be back soon."

Snow, 51, had his colon removed in 2005 and underwent six months of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with colon cancer.

He said he had undergone a series of internal scans, including a PET imaging scan to help doctors see how organs and tissues are functioning. He also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests, and CAT scans to generate cross-sectional views and, if needed, three-dimensional images.

These scans revealed the growth. Blood tests and further PET scans have not indicated a return of his cancer.

"Out of an aggressive sense of caution I'm going to go in for surgery," he said.

Snow joked about Monday's surgery, saying he would "come back here a little lighter" than before. It's not a minor procedure, and will keep Snow away from the White House for several weeks, in the hospital for about a week and at home recovering after that.