Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, 62, announced Monday at noon that he has a microscopic-sized growth in his prostate gland. He said that surgery to remove it is tentatively scheduled for the coming months, and that no chemotherapy or radiation treatments are required.
"I will be perfectly fit to fulfill my duties before the operation, and within a few hours after it," Olmert said firmly.
Olmert said he had no obligation to reveal the details of his physical check-ups, but "I wanted to make a full and open disclosure as soon as possible... The public has a right to know." Legislation requiring the Prime Minister to publicize his health status has been discussed in the public arena, particularly since the fairly-sudden collapse of ex-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in early 2006.
Prime Minister Olmert said he has no plans or need to step down, and that he will be able to completely fulfill his duties despite his condition both before and after the operation. His doctors noted the growth was treatable and discovered at an early stage, and that the survival rate of those in Olmert's situation over the course of the next ten years is 100%.
The biopsy was taken on Oct. 19. Olmert's doctors said afterwards that the growth did not require immediate treatment, and that it is acceptable to wait at least six weeks before beginning treatment, if at all.
The doctors were asked if they did not fear a repeat of mistakes made with Sharon, and if their self-confidence did not indicate that they may be repeating similar mistakes. Dr. Kobi Ramon, of Sheba Hospital, said that the self-confidence they are displaying stems from the professional knowledge available about prostate cancer, and that Israel was among the leaders in this area.