Olmert Has Prostate Cancer

Diagnosis won't interfere with work, Israeli PM promises, as peace talks loom
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 29, 2007 7:07 AM CDT
Olmert Has Prostate Cancer
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert attends a ceremony in Hiriya landfill near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will announce on Monday that he has prostate cancer, but that the disease is not threatening his life, an Israeli government official said.(AP Photo/Ariel...   (Associated Press)

Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has prostate cancer, he announced today, and will undergo minor surgery to treat it. He said his medical condition is not life-threatening and would not affect his ability to govern. “From what my doctors have told me, this is a microscopic growth that can be removed with a brief surgical intervention,” he said.

Olmert said the public had “the right to know” about his condition. His predecessor, Ariel Sharon, who was disabled by a stroke, was criticized for not disclosing his health issues sooner, Reuters notes. The announcement comes as Olmert is engaged in difficult talks in advance of next month's US-sponsored Mideast peace conference. (More Israel stories.)

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