Former deputy Prime Minester Barnaby Joyce will undergo surgery after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, just hours after being reelected.
Mr Joyce revealed the news after undergoing a prostate-specific antigen blood test, following advice from his doctor.
The test returned an elevated result, and he underwent an MRI scan and biopsy before the diagnosis.
‘Prostate cancer, if you get it early, is very, very treatable; in fact, about 97 per cent successful,’ he told ABC News.
‘I’ll have the operation on Monday and I will then have a couple of days in hospital and will recuperate after that. I’m very blessed and lucky to discover this early.’
Mr Joyce said he had no symptoms before getting tested.
He will continue to serve in his role as the MP for the NSW seat of New England despite the diagnosis.
‘If I thought it was very serious, of course I’d resign, but my doctors or surgeons say, – you’re very lucky you’ve got it early.’
Barnaby Joyce has six children.
Barnaby Joyce is pictured alongside his wife Vikki Campion
He has four daughters from his collapsed marriage to Natalie Joyce, aged in their early 20s.
With his current partner, Vikki Campion, he has two sons: Sebastian, born in 2018, and Thomas, born in 2019.
Ms Joyce’s 24-year marriage to Natalie collapsed in December 2017 and two months later it was revealed he had been having an affair with his former media advisor Ms Campion.
In February 2018 it was revealed the pair were expecting a child in a Daily Telegraph front page which featured a picture of a pregnant Ms Campion under the headline ‘Bundle of Joyce’.
The Nationals leader initially claimed the child may not be his, insisting the identity of the father was a ‘grey area’ – but said he would not take a paternity test and would raise the boy named Sebastian as his.
