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Business News/ News / World/  Singapore’s PM in surgery on Sunday after prostate cancer diagnosis
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Singapore’s PM in surgery on Sunday after prostate cancer diagnosis

Lee Hsien Loong will undergo a robot-assisted keyhole surgery on Sunday after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer

A file photo of Lee Hsien Loong. Photo: BloombergPremium
A file photo of Lee Hsien Loong. Photo: Bloomberg

Singapore: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will undergo a robot-assisted keyhole surgery on Sunday after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The procedure will be carried out by Christopher Cheng, the lead urologist at the Singapore General Hospital, and Lee will be on medical leave for a week, according to a statement on the Prime Minister’s Office’s website on Sunday.

“Mr. Lee decided on the surgical treatment option on the advice of a panel of doctors led by Prof. Cheng, and is expected to recover fully," according to the statement, which cited data from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre that showed a 99% survival rate at 15 years for patients with similar medical profile and treatment.

Lee, the 63-year-old son of independent Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew, took over from then premier Goh Chok Tong a decade ago to become the city-state’s third prime minister. Goh also underwent surgery for prostate cancer in November.

Magnetic resonance imaging of Lee’s prostate in January showed “suspicious lesions" while a subsequent biopsy found cancer cells, according to the statement. In a Twitter post, Lee said he is “all prepared" for his surgery on Monday in Singapore.

Teo Chee Hean, one of Singapore’s two deputy prime ministers, will be acting premier while Lee recovers, according to the statement.

“Wishing PM Lee a smooth operation and speedy recovery," Teo said in a Twitter post, retweeted by US ambassador Kirk Wagar. “Rest well and recover fully before getting back to your hectic schedule."

Other ministers also sent well wishes online, as well as Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who called Lee a “good friend" in a Twitter post.

The latest cancer diagnosis isn’t the first for Lee. In 1992, he had lymphoma and was cleared of the illness after treatment.

Lee will be out on what’s one of the shortest work week of the year in Singapore, where Thursday and Friday are closed for the Chinese New Year holiday. He visited residents of his district in central Singapore on Saturday, according to his Twitter post. Bloomberg

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Published: 15 Feb 2015, 11:29 PM IST
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