NBC NEWS
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December and developed complications from a minimally invasive procedure he underwent to treat and cure it, officials from Walter Reed National Military Center officials said Tuesday.
The complications are what led to Austin being admitted to Walter Reed on Jan. 1, and eventually, the intensive care unit. Austin remained in the hospital on Tuesday.
The Pentagon took three days to inform the White House and key defense officials about Austin’s hospitalization, prompting criticism and triggering a review of procedures about how the head of the military could be away from his duties for so long without senior members of the administration knowing.
President Joe Biden and other top White House officials learned about his hospitalization on Thursday, but National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Tuesday that neither Biden nor anyone at the White House knew about Austin’s cancer diagnosis until Tuesday morning, hours before Walter Reed officials made that information public.
The cancer was discovered in early December in routine lab tests for prostate screening, Walter Reed officials said. The surgical procedure Austin underwent on Dec. 22 was a prostatectomy, and Austin was “under general anesthesia” during it.
“Secretary Austin recovered uneventfully from his surgery and returned home the next morning. His prostate cancer was detected early, and his prognosis is excellent,” the officials said.
Austin, 70, was then admitted to Walter Reed on Jan. 1 “with complications from the December 22 procedure, including nausea with severe abdominal, hip, and leg pain,” the officials said.
An initial evaluation found that he had a urinary tract infection and on Jan. 2, a decision was made to transfer Austin to the intensive care unit for “close monitoring and a higher level of care,” the statement said.
