US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is likely to make a complete recovery after his prostate cancer treatment, said doctors after his check-up appointment at Walter Reed hospital. His prognosis remains excellent, they added. Treatment effective so far: PentagonPentagon released a statement updating the health of Austin and said Secretary Austin was seen today at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a scheduled post-prostatectomy surveillance appointment, the statement said.Austins prostate cancer was treated early and effectively, and his prognosis is excellent, said the physicians in a statement released by the Pentagon.The 70-year-old career soldier had initially undergone minor surgery on December 22 to treat the cancer, returning home the next day.But post-surgery complications like severe pain and nausea forced Austins readmission to Walter Reed on January 1.Biden kept unaware of diagnosisWhile the White House only learned about the hospitalization on January 4, the Congress was briefed a day later. Biden himself was told about the cancer diagnosis on January 9.Austin had controversially kept even President Joe Biden unaware about the cancer diagnosis for weeks, informing neither him nor Congress until days after hospitalization on January 1 for complications from the medical procedure.Austin discharged last weekAustin was discharged from the hospital last week, making his first public appearance post-hospitalization on Tuesday via video conference. He spoke via video link from his residence at the opening of a meeting on aid for Ukraine.Republican lawmakers have demanded Austins sacking over not disclosing his illness to Biden for weeks. But the President has backed the Defense Secretary despite criticizing his error in judgment and said that he remains confident in his defense secretary.Post-surgery checkupDoctors asserted Austin was seen at Walter Reed recently just for a scheduled post-prostatectomy review appointment to assess his recovery progress.The statement indicates Austin has responded well to the early cancer treatment with doctors confirming a positive prognosis. However, the delayed diagnosis disclosure has fueled criticism.
