Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Was Treated for Early Prostate Cancer in December, Says Pentagon

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is recovering from complications from surgery for early stage prostate cancer, the Pentagon has confirmed.

Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Army Medical Center on Dec. 22 for a “minimally invasive surgical procedure” after being diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this month, the Pentagon announced Tuesday.

“As part of Secretary of State Austin’s routine health checkup, he underwent regular prostate specific antigen (PSA) monitoring. Changes in his lab evaluation in early December 2023 identified prostate cancer that required treatment,” the Pentagon said.

“He was under general anesthesia during this procedure. Secretary Austin made a smooth recovery from the operation and returned home the next morning. His prostate cancer was detected early, and his prognosis is excellent.”

On December 22, Austin went into surgery for early stage prostate cancer.

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Austin, however, returned to the center on Jan. 1 after experiencing “nausea with severe abdominal, hip and leg pain” due to a urinary tract infection, according to the statement. On January 2, he was transferred to the intensive care unit “for close monitoring and a higher level of care.”

“Further evaluation revealed an accumulation of abdominal fluid impairing the function of his small intestines. This resulted in a backup of his intestinal contents which were treated by placing a tube through his nose to empty his stomach,” the statement explained. “Abdominal fluid collections were drained by non-surgical drain placement.”

The Pentagon added that Austin “made steady progress during his stay.”

“His infection is gone. He continues to make progress and we expect a full recovery although it may be a slow process. During this stay, Secretary Austin never lost consciousness and was never under general anesthesia,” the statement concluded.

Austin (70) is recovering in the hospital from complications after surgery.

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Austin’s hospitalization and health issues were first communicated to the White House on Tuesday morning, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing on Tuesday.

“No one in the White House knew that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer until this morning, and the president was notified right after us,” Kirby said.

“It’s not optimal … for this situation to go on for so long without the commander in chief knowing about it, or the national security adviser, or frankly, other leaders in the Department of Defense. That’s not the way this should happen,” Kirby continued to ABC News.

He said the Department of Defense was “also reviewing its own procedures to ensure this does not happen again.”

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During the briefing, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder added that he understood the issue was “deeply personal.”

The defense secretary is currently still in the hospital, Ryder told ABC News, and he is “in contact with his senior staff and has full access to the necessary security communications capabilities and continues to oversee the day-to-day operations of DOD.”

“He continues to work very actively with his senior staff and make important decisions about national security and defense,” Ryder added.

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