Despite complications from surgery, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has good prognosis after prostate cancer diagnosis

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had surgery to treat prostate cancer in late December and later developed complications that landed him in intensive care, doctors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center said Tuesday. But his own team and independent medical experts agree that his outlook is good.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had surgery to treat prostate cancer in late December and later developed complications that landed him in intensive care, doctors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center said Tuesday. But his own team and independent medical experts agree that his outlook is good. His doctors say Austin, 70, was readmitted to the hospital on New Year’s Day after having minimally invasive surgery December 22 to remove prostate cancer, called a prostatectomy. He was admitted to intensive care January 2 after additional evaluation found a buildup of fluid that was impairing the function of his small intestines. The fluid was drained, and his doctors says he is on the mend. “He continues to make progress and we anticipate a full recovery although this can be a slow process,” the statement says. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men in the United States, behind non-melanoma skin cancers. About 13% – or 1 in 8 – American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, and about 2.5% – or 1 in 41 – will die from it, according to the National Cancer Institute. But the risk of prostate cancer is not spread equally, said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer for the American Cancer Society.