The leader of the NDP announced on Friday that he is currently receiving treatment for prostate cancer.
Jack Layton, who has led the federal New Democrats since 2003, spoke in Toronto.
"Everything is going well. I feel good," he said, adding that 25,000 men are treated for prostate cancer every year and most of them survive.
His wife, Trinity Danforth MP Olivia Chow, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer several years ago.
"She won her battle," Layton said, "and I'm going to win mine."
Layton will stay on as leader and as the Member of Parliament for Toronto-Danforth.
"I will be back at my desk on Monday," he said.
Prostate Cancer Risk Factors:
There
is no single cause of prostate cancer, but some factors appear to
increase the risk of developing it. Having these risk factors doesn't
mean that you will develop prostate cancer. It means that your chances
of developing it are higher.
You may be at higher risk if you:
- are older than 65
- have a family history of prostate cancer
- are of African ancestry
Obesity,
physical inactivity, eating a diet high in fat, and working with a
metal called cadmium are being studied as possible risk factors. Eating
a diet high in calcium is being studied as a possible risk factor.
Calcium has many health benefits, and research so far tells us that the
levels of calcium have to be very high - much higher than in the
average man's diet - for it to be a concern.
It is possible to develop prostate cancer without having any of these risk factors.
Source:
Canadian Cancer Society
Click here for the questions to ask your doctor
Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment Quiz