Following a dayslong stay at Walter Reed's intensive care unit, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Tuesday afternoon that he's been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Per ABC News, doctors treated symptoms arising from Austin's cancer, including “serious intestinal complications.”
A statement from Lloyd's office says in part: “His prognosis is excellent and expected to recovery fully.”
In a memo, the White House said it's reviewing cabinet protocols to determine the appropriate delegation of duties following Austin's undisclosed hospitalization:
A short time after the issue of the White House memo, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center — which treated Austin — released a detailed statement about his care, saying he underwent a procedure to treat early prostate cancer and then a urinary tract infection that led to serious intestinal complications. Austin was under general anesthesia.
The White House memo directs departments and agencies to submit their existing protocols for review by Jan. 12.
The memo, written by White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, says that while the review is ongoing, Cabinet agencies must adhere to procedures, including notifying the White House when agencies anticipate a delegation of authority and documenting the delegation of authority in writing.
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The memo says agencies should ensure “delegations are issued when a Cabinet Member is traveling to areas with limited or no access to communication, undergoing hospitalization or a medical procedure requiring general anesthesia, or otherwise in a circumstance when he or she may be unreachable.
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