US defense chief apologizes for his handling of prostate cancer surgery

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin apologized Thursday to his staff and the American people for keeping prostate cancer treatment private.

“We did not handle this right. I did not handle this right. I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis, and I should have also told my team and the American public,” Austin told reporters during a news conference at the Pentagon.

Austin said being treated for prostate cancer “shook” him as it shakes so many others.

“It was a gut punch,” he said, “Frankly, my first instinct was to keep it private.”

“I never like burdening others with my problem -- it's just not my way. What I've learned from this experience, taking this kind of job means losing some of the privacy that most of us expect,” he added.

Austin's secretive hospital stay for prostate cancer caused controversy last month. He was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland on Dec. 22 for treatment.

Then on Jan. 1, he was taken back to the hospital due to complications, but information about his stay was not disclosed until four days later. Even, the defense chief did not inform President Joe Biden about his hospitalization, prompting criticism from lawmakers.