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SAN DIEGO — San Diego Chargers general manager John Butler has been diagnosed with lung cancer and started chemotherapy, a team spokesman said Monday night. 

New coach Marty Schottenheimer broke the news to the players at a meeting, at Butler’s request, spokesman Bill Johnston said. 

Butler, who turns 56 on Aug. 13, didn’t immediately return a call to his home and Schottenheimer was in a meeting and unavailable for comment. 

Butler was diagnosed a few weeks ago, Johnston said. The GM quit smoking during last season, Johnston said. 

In a statement, the Chargers said that during Butler’s chemotherapy, “he is tending to business as usual and wants everyone in the Chargers family to do the same. While he is grateful for the kind thoughts and interest, he wants the entire organization to remain focused on bringing a world championship to San Diego.” 

Team president Dean Spanos also issued a statement. 

“John has been a winner and fierce competitor on and off the field his whole life,” Spanos’ statement said. “We all have confidence that he will overcome this new challenge. We’re all behind John 100 percent.” 

Butler, considered one of the NFL’s best talent evaluators, was hired as San Diego’s GM on Jan. 5, 2001, less than two weeks after the Chargers finished 1-15, their worst season ever. 

He spent the previous 14 seasons with Buffalo, helping build the teams that reached four straight Super Bowls. He was GM from 1993 until late in the 2000 season when he was fired by owner Ralph Wilson, who said he couldn’t get a commitment from the GM that he wanted to stay in Buffalo. 

Under Butler, Buffalo was one of the few powers of the early ’90s that was able to remain an annual playoff contender in the salary-cap era.