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Singapore PM diagnosed with prostate cancer

Xinhua, February 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was diagnosed with prostate cancer and will undergo surgery to remove his prostate gland on Monday, the Prime Minister 's Office (PMO) announced in a media release on Sunday.

Lee had undergone an MRI of the prostate which showed suspicious lesions in January and a subsequent biopsy found that one out of 38 samples contained cancer cells, the press release said.

Lee therefore decided on the surgical treatment option on the advice of a panel of doctors led by Prof. Christopher Cheng, the lead Urologist at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), and is expected to recover fully.

Hours after the press release, Lee posted on his Facebook, saying that he is "all set" for his operation Monday.

"Thank you all for your concern, good wishes and encouraging words. I have already received so many emails, SMSs, and messages through friends and contacts wishing me well. I'm all set for my op tomorrow, and so are my surgeon and medical team," he said.

Lee also uploaded a selfie showing he smiled with a little pink device on his finger. "The thing on my finger is a pulse oximeter, tracking oxygen in my bloodstream. Ho Ching helped me take this selfie of ET phoning home," he wrote.

PMO said that Lee will be on medical leave for one week. During this period, Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, and Coordinating Minister for National Security, will be Acting Prime Minister. Endi