Pentagon: Defense Sec Was Treated For Prostate Cancer

January 9, 2024 Medicine, Military

The Associated Press reports:

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has prostate cancer and his recent secretive hospitalization was for surgery and later to treat an urinary tract infection related to that operation, doctors said Tuesday.

The 70-year-old Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Dec. 22 and underwent surgery to treat the cancer.

Austin developed the infection a week later. Senior administration and defense officials were not told for days about his hospitalization or his cancer. According to the doctors, the cancer was detected when Austin had a regular screening in early December.

NBC News reports:



Austin, 70, was then admitted to Walter Reed on Jan. 1 “with complications from the December 22 procedure, including nausea with severe abdominal, hip, and leg pain,” the officials said. An initial evaluation found that he had a urinary tract infection and on Jan. 2, a decision was made to transfer Austin to the intensive care unit for “close monitoring and a higher level of care,” the statement said.

Doctors then discovered that Austin had “abdominal fluid collections impairing the function of his small intestines.” “This resulted in the back up of his intestinal contents which was treated by placing a tube through his nose to drain his stomach,” the officials added. “The abdominal fluid collections were drained by non-surgical drain placement. He has progressed steadily throughout his stay.”

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