Update Feb. 15, 2014, 7.10pm: On his FB page, PM said that he is "all set for my op tomorrow, and so are my surgeon and medical team".

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and will go for surgery to remove his prostate gland tomorrow (Feb. 16, 2015).

Last month, PM went for an MRI of the prostate and found that one out of 38 samples contained cancer cells.

He 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).

PM is expected to recover fully. Data from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre show that patients with similar medical profile and treatment have a cancer specific survival rate of 99% at 15 years.

PM Lee will be on medical leave for one week. During this period, Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs will be Acting PM.

Two months ago (Nov. 22, 2014), Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong underwent a successful surgery for prostate cancer.

PM Lee successfully battled cancer before

This was not PM Lee's first encounter with cancer.

In 1992, he was diagnosed with lymphoma, the cancer of the lymph nodes, and underwent a three-month period of chemotherapy.

His chemotherapy was successful, and his cancer has since gone into remission.

Following his successful battle against cancer, PM Lee contributed a message to CancerStory.com, a website that provided encouragement to patients in their fight against cancer.

"To many Singaporeans, cancer is a terrifying disease which they hope not to get, and prefer not to think or talk about. But in reality cancer is not uncommon, nor is it untreatable. Some types of cancer can be completely cured. With many other types, early diagnosis and proper treatment makes a big difference.

The patient's attitude matters a lot, and so does the support of family and friends. When I was undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma, I received many messages of concern and encouragement from well wishers. They cheered me up, and helped me to soldier on.

I particularly remember a passage in one book I was given. It said that a positive outlook may or may not cure you of cancer, but it will certainly make the disease easier to bear, and will help you live life to the full despite the cancer. I found this helpful, realistic advice, although not always easy to follow.

When cancer strikes a person or his family, often we are reluctant to talk about it. But there is nothing shameful or unmentionable about having cancer. Talking about it helps you to unburden yourself of worries and fears, and allows others to let you know that you are not alone, and help is available.

CancerStory.com is doing a good job helping Singaporeans to overcome this psychological obstacle. I hope my posting will encourage others who have experienced cancer also to join the CancerStory.com community, and so be of some help to cancer sufferers and their families."

PM's surgery tomorrow is to remove his prostate gland 

The robot-assisted keyhole prostatectomy will be carried out by Prof Cheng.

Source

Prof Cheng graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1982 and obtained his FRCS(Surg) in 1986, and FAMS (Urology) in 1993. He was the first local urologist to be fellowship certified in Uro-oncology at the Mayo Clinic in 1992.

Our leader’s life is in your hands tomorrow.

No pressure, Prof Cheng.

Top photo from Lee Hsien Loong Facebook. 

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