Pentagon says defense chief has prostate cancer
WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has prostate cancer, and the surgery that he underwent resulted in a severe infection that has hospitalized him at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since Jan. 1, according to a statement from his doctors released by the Pentagon.
Austin’s surgery took place on Dec. 22, was minimally invasive and uneventful but he was under general anesthesia, according to the statement from his doctors, John Maddox and Gregory Chestnut.
“The cancer was detected early and his prognosis is excellent,” the statement said.
Austin’s failure to disclose his subsequent hospitalization has created a firestorm of criticism. Tuesday’s statement is the first to describe the procedure he underwent and the subsequent complications.
Austin, 70, returned home Dec. 23 but experienced severe pain Jan. 1 and returned to the hospital, the Pentagon said.
Austin had severe abdominal, hip and leg pain and nausea, according his doctors’ statement. The initial evaluation revealed a urinary tract infection. On Jan. 2, he was moved to the intensive care unit, where further evaluation found a buildup of fluid impairing his small intestines. The fluids were drained without surgery and his infection has cleared.
“He continues to make progress and we anticipate a full recovery although this can be a slow process,” the doctors’ statement said. “During this stay, Secretary Austin never lost consciousness and never underwent general anesthesia.”
Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday that the nature of Austin’s illness was behind his reluctance to release information about it.
“Prostate cancer and the associated procedures are obviously deeply personal.”
Meanwhile, the White House on Tuesday launched a review of the notification procedures that cabinet secretaries must follow if they’re unable to perform duties.
White House chief of staff Jeff Zients sent a memo, obtained by USA TODAY, to cabinet secretaries asking them to notify the White House by Friday of any existing procedures for delegating authority if a cabinet member is incapacitated or otherwise unable to do their job.
The review comes as the White House is dealing with the fallout from Austin’s failure to promptly disclose his hospitalization. The Defense Department didn’t alert the White House about Austin’s condition until three days after he was hospitalized.
Zients’ memo directs cabinet agencies to notify his office and the office of cabinet affairs in the event that a delegation of authority is required or anticipated.
Agencies must ensure that a delegation of authority is issued when a cabinet member is undergoing hospitalization or a medical procedure requiring general anesthesia or in any other circumstance when he or she may be unreachable, the memo says.