PM Lee diagnosed with prostate cancer, to undergo surgery on Monday

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and will undergo surgery to remove his prostate gland on Monday, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

The robot-assisted keyhole prostatectomy will be carried out by Professor Christopher Cheng, the lead urologist at the Singapore General Hospital.

According to the PMO, Mr Lee had in January undergone an MRI of the prostate which showed suspicious lesions. A subsequent biopsy found that one out of 38 samples contained cancer cells.

Mr Lee decided on the surgical treatment option on the advice of a panel of doctors led by Prof Cheng.

He is expected to recover fully, said the PMO.

Mr Lee will be on medical leave for one week. During this period, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Teo Chee Hean will be Acting Prime Minister.

Mr Teo wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday: "Wishing PM Lee a smooth operation and speedy recovery. Rest well and recover fully before getting back to your hectic schedule."

President Tony Tan Keng Yam also posted well-wishes on his Facebook.

"PM Lee told me earlier this week of his impending surgery for prostate cancer. As the condition was detected early, the doctors expect him to make a full recovery after the operation.

"Mary and I wish PM Lee a sucessful surgery, a speedy and complete recovery, and the very best of health," wrote Dr Tan.

klim@sph.com.sg