Doctors at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center released a statement on Tuesday revealing that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was treated in late December for prostate cancer and was hospitalized at the start of this month with complications from a urinary tract infection.
Austin’s health status has come under intense scrutiny after news broke late last week that he had been hospitalized without the Biden administration knowing about it.
“As part of Secretary Austin’s routinely recommended health screening, he has undergone regular prostate specific antigen (PSA) surveillance,” the doctors said in a statement. “Changes in his laboratory evaluation in early December 2023 identified prostate cancer which required treatment.”
On December 22, 2023, Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and “underwent a minimally invasive surgical procedure called a prostatectomy to treat and cure prostate cancer.”
Austin was discharged from the hospital and went home the following morning.
“On January 1st, 2024, Secretary Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with complications from the December 22 procedure, including nausea with severe abdominal, hip, and leg pain,” the doctors said. “Initial evaluation revealed a urinary tract infection. On January 2, the decision was made to transfer him to the ICU for close monitoring and a higher level of care.”
They said that his prognosis was “excellent” regarding the cancer diagnosis and that his infection has cleared and they anticipate a full recovery.
“During this stay, Secretary Austin never lost consciousness and never underwent general anesthesia,” they said. “Prostate cancer is the most common cause of cancer among American men, and it impacts 1 in every 8 men – and 1 in every 6 African American men – during their lifetime. Despite the frequency of prostate cancer, discussions about screening, treatment, and support are often deeply personal and private ones.”
Post a Comment