Is it dangerous for the US Secretary of Defense to have cancer?

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin

The US Department of Defense described Secretary Lloyd Austin's prostate cancer surgery as "elective" and took place on December 22, 2023. Mr. Austin stayed in the hospital for one day for observation and was discharged the following day.

However, due to complications from surgery, the US Secretary of Defense was hospitalized again on January 1, according to NBC News citing information from the treatment facility, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Specifically, Mr. Austin underwent a procedure called a prostatectomy, in which a surgeon removes part or all of the prostate.

While the word "elective" makes the surgery seem unnecessary, the phrase actually refers to the timing of the surgery.

Simply put, any surgery that does not require emergency treatment is considered an elective procedure. Surgery for appendicitis or a ruptured gallbladder falls into the category of emergency interventions.

Elective procedures do not mean you can choose to have surgery or not, but instead can schedule it in advance, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

With elective surgery, "whether you do it today or in six weeks, the outcome is the same," says Michael Stifelman, MD, chief of urology at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. And that's the case with prostate cancer surgery.

What is proactive monitoring?

Doctors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center said Mr Austin's cancer was caught early and "his prognosis is excellent".

Dr. Charles Ryan, CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of America, said that patients who are diagnosed early have several options. The first is active monitoring, which means regular MRIs and blood tests. The second is surgical removal, or treatment with radiation or hormone therapy.

Because prostate cancer progresses slowly, some doctors and patients may decide to postpone treatment and instead choose active surveillance.

Active surveillance rather than treatment may be considered if the cancer is not causing symptoms, the tumor is small, and has not spread outside the prostate, according to the American Cancer Society.

What are the risks of surgery?

While the US Secretary of Defense suffered post-operative complications, experts say the procedure was generally safe.

“For the vast majority of men who undergo surgery, it is a complication-free procedure,” says Dr. Ryan. But, as with any cancer treatment, there are risks.

Complications that can require hospitalization include bleeding or infection, but these are rare, occurring in less than 5% of cases, Dr. Ryan said.

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