News Digest

Singapore PM Lee has prostate cancer, government says

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, his office announced on Sunday. In a statement released on its website in the afternoon, the Prime Minister’s Office said the 63-year-old will undergo surgery on Monday, and is expected to recover fully. Lee, who survived cancer in 1992, underwent an MRI scan that revealed “suspicious lesions” on his prostate last month.

[Lee] has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and will undergo surgery to remove his prostate gland on Monday 16 February 2015.

Statement issued by Prime Minister’s office

The prime minister will take a week’s medical leave following Monday’s surgery. The robot-assisted keyhole prostatectomy will be carried out by Prof Christopher Cheng, lead urologist at the Singapore General Hospital, the statement added. Lee, who was diagnosed with lymphoma in 1992, has been in remission for 22 years after a successful three-month course of chemotherapy.